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New Signs Installed At Seabrook Beach Where Methuen Couple Died

SEABROOK, N.H. (CBS) — Beachgoers looking to enjoy a little fun in the sun and water in Seabrook, N.H., may notice some new additions to the shoreline: signs warning of potentially dangerous rip currents.

The Seabrook Beach Village District paid for and installed the signs along Seabrook Beach a few weeks ago after a Methuen couple, Michael and Laura Cote, lost their lives due to a riptide off the beach last summer.

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Michael and Laura Cote (Image credit Facebook/St. Francis Parish)

Four other people pulled out of the water that day survived.

"They can throw you out a mile in a millisecond. They are so powerful," Vickie Sawyer, the President of the Seabrook Beach Civic Association said.

Sawyer said the signs are a step in the right direction, but lifeguards are needed to make sure people can swim safely.

"I personally would prefer to see live life guards out on the beach," she said.

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A rip current sign in Seabrook, N.H. (WBZ-TV)

Earlier this year, voters rejected money for lifeguards due to cost and potential liability.

"I think the legislative body, the voters, looked at the fact that we need more police officers, we need more firemen," Town Manager Bill Manzi said.

With lifeguards at neighboring Hampton and Salisbury Beaches, Sawyer believes the fight for lifeguards will be ongoing.

"We have to come to the point where doing the right thing trumps liability in order to save lives," she said.

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