Jones Beach safety precautions heightened ahead of July 4th crowd

JONES BEACH, Nassau County (WABC) -- Officials plan for heightened security at Jones Beach for the July 4th holiday.

On Friday, hundreds of thousands of beachgoers will arrive at Jones Beach for the waterfront and fireworks display.

Along with porta potties set up along the beach, authorities have added trucks to block off certain areas, surveillance cameras, and cement blocks along the boardwalk.

"Any vehicle that has bad intentions will be able to be blocked so we keep the public as safe as we possibly can," said New York State Parks Regional Director George Gorman.

Officials also plan to have eyes on the water, using drones to protect swimmers from drowning, rip currents, and other threats in real time.

If you're caught in a rip current while swimming in the ocean, "our best advice would be to flip and float; stay calm, flip onto your back," veteran lifeguard Cary Epstein advised.

While sharks are relatively rare -- Epstein tells Eyewitness News you're more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark - officials are ready to shut the beach down if sharks are spotted.

"The sharks don't just swim home and don't come back. It's their home, we're visiting, but we'll use the technology to our advantage to try to minimize the possibility of an encounter," Epstein said.