It’s the first and most important rule when it comes to the beach, many seasoned lifeguards say: Do not swim in the ocean after lifeguards have left for the day.

“Rule number one is to never go in the ocean when the lifeguards aren’t on duty,” Belmar chief lifeguard Harry Harsin told NJ Advance Media Saturday. “It poses too many threats.”

Harsin’s reminder to the public comes a day after a 13-year-old girl drowned in Belmar Friday night. Harsin was among an emergency response team called to the scene after receiving emergency calls about “a swimmer in distress” around 6:30 p.m.

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