How U.S. Coast Guard operates during water rescues at Jersey Shore: "We serve the public"

With the weather getting nicer and the Fourth of July right around the corner, summer safety is a top priority at the Jersey Shore.

Tucked back along the Cape May Harbor is a U.S. Coast Guard base. When a call comes in for a water rescue in that area, the boats and manpower are sent out to search.

"We will get a crew together, we'll do a quick risk assessment to make sure we are not missing anything, so our crew will be safe, and we have all the gear and the right people for the mission," said Nick Abdelnour, who is the Cape May Operations Petty Officer.

Recent Coast Guard missions included a 14-year-old who went missing after swimming in the ocean in Wildwood.

Two weeks ago, another swimmer went missing in Ocean City. Once in position, the crews relay information about weather conditions and water patterns back to the command center in Philadelphia to develop a plan for the most accurate search.

"It's a full room full of trained operational specialists that take all the info that we give them, and then relay it to us our operators that we trained to do, which is the search patterns," he said. "They put us in the right spot to be the most successful."

When they are not doing search-and-rescue missions, the Coast Guard is all about boat safety, which includes inspecting vessels and making sure they are compliant with safety equipment, like lifejackets, fire extinguishers and radios.

"The biggest thing is to take the time now before you are out there to make sure you have everything you need," Abdelnour said.

And as the summer heats up, boat traffic increases and the Coast Guard said its always ready.

"We serve the public," Abdelnour said. "We want to make sure they are safe, and if something does happen, we will give our full effort, maximum effort to make sure they are taken care of."