Posted at: 06/25/2009 4:55 PM | WHEC.com
Updated at: 06/26/2009 10:53 AM
By: Ray Levato

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People seek heat relief at closed beach

Hundreds of people sought relief from today's early summer heat and humidity at the city's Durand Eastman swimming beach. The only problem - it's not officially open for swimming on weekdays yet but people there didn’t seem to care.

The city's swimming area has been open only on weekends since Memorial Day. People said they didn't know the swimming beach was still officially closed on weekdays.

There were lifeguards in red shirts walking the beach which confused Yvonne Petrin who was with her granddaughter Caitlin Torez. “Oh, the beach is beautiful. It's clean, there's lifeguards here. Kids are having a good time.”

Robyn Smith brought daughter Jaylyn, age two, to play in the water. “When I saw it roped off, I figured it was, figured it was open for the kids to go swimming. The only thing I noticed is that there wasn't any lifeguards sitting in their chairs.”

John Kerr is the city director of aquatics.  He says so many people came to the Durand swimming beach yesterday, the first hot day, he decided to have a presence there today. “And what we felt today, it would be prudent to have some people there to provide information when we officially do open and also if anybody needed first aid supplies, or needed water or use of an emergency phone, there would be staff there.”

The reason why the protected swimming area doesn't officially open on weekdays until next Monday is because that's the first day the county health department begins testing for water quality.

The city has a calendar for when to open the beach during the weekdays in late June but of course as everyone knew today, Mother Nature has hers.

Before you head to the beach, call the county's hotline to check on the water quality at 585-750-5887.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.