Rescue crews pulled three children out of rip currents on Friday at Old Orchard Beach.

Lifeguards called firefighters to assist after the children got swept up. There were no injuries, according to Old Orchard Beach Fire Captain Normand Gendron.

One of the children rescued was as far away as a football field from shore, Gendron said.

He urged beachgoers to “pay attention to their kids” this summer. Rip currents – powerful currents of water moving away from the shore – are a risk even in knee-deep water, especially for kids who don’t weigh a lot, Gendron said.

The fire department is particularly concerned about rip currents this summer. Gendron said that winter storms caused sandbars, which created more opportunity for rip currents in the water. In previous seasons, there were only a couple of rip locations, but now there are 10 to 12 spots, he said.

The rip current risk for coastal York County, including Old Orchard Beach, is low this weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

However, rip currents are always possible. Around 80% of ocean rescues are related to rip currents, according to NOAA.

The agency advises people to swim out of currents, not against them, if they find themselves stuck.