Connecticut got a taste of summer with great beach weather on Wednesday, and state leaders used the day to help people get ready for all the fun you can have outside.
“The location, the area, the town. I like Milford. The scenery is beautiful,” said Christina Rongetti, who made her way to Silver Sands State Park on Wednesday from Danbury. “Hammonasset is a little bit too far and Sherwood Island I believe is the other one. It’s the same distance, but I like this one better.”
Margaret O’Neill spent most of her life in Milford, but now lives in West Haven. She said she likes the West Haven beaches, but prefers the ones closer to home.
“I usually come to Milford to go to the beach,” O’Neill said.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
As people start to make plans for the summer along the shoreline, businesses are, too. This is the 11th summer for the Greek Spot on East Broadway in Milford. Leo Koutikas is looking forward to more busy days across from Silver Sands.
“As soon as it gets to 70, it just changes into an awesome new vibe,” Koutikas said.
Among the restaurant-goers and the sun-seekers in Milford, state officials were at the park to help Connecticut residents – and thousands of visitors – get ready for summer fun outdoors.
Local
“Connecticut has placed itself on the map. We’re transforming the perception that Connecticut is a drive through state and we’re becoming a drive-to state,” said Anthony Anthony, chief marketing officer for the Connecticut Tourism Office.
Officials announced the return of ParkConnect, the summer transportation program connecting people to Hammonasset Beach, Silver Sands and Sleeping Giant state parks.
When you get to the shoreline state parks this weekend, they will all have lifeguards. Black Rock State Park in Watertown will also have guards. For those that don’t, head lifeguards in the state warn people to be careful and keep children within arm’s reach.
“Make sure to watch your children because no one else there is going to be watching them for you,” said Connor Scully, lifeguard supervisor at Silver Sands. “Because if you’re in trouble, you’re going to be the one that’s saving them.”
And while the air temperature is warm, the water is still very cold.
“Know that cold water can cause hypothermia. And you may be a confident swimmer in a pool, or seventy-degree water in the middle of the summer. It’s much harder to swim in cold water,” Mason Trumble, DEEP deputy commissioner, said.
And a warning for people who take a boat out into the sound: children 13 and under are required to always wear a lifejacket. Adults must wear one through May, and a jacket must be onboard for all adults after May.
Col. Chris Lewis of the Environmental Conservation Police has one additional warning.
“Do not operate impaired. Alcohol and boating and water do not mix, and that is something we have zero tolerance for here in Connecticut.”
