Milford fire officials say an alert beachgoer and good timing led to the rescue of two people clinging to a buoy in the Long Island Sound earlier this week.

Officials say the two women were walking on the sandbar from Silver Sands State Park to Charles Island Tuesday when the current swept them into open water.

Someone on the beach saw what was happening and immediately notified rescue crews. The Milford Fire Department was conducting training exercises with the department Jet Skis at the time, and rescued the swimmers minutes later.

Firefighter Mark Rose said the department's rescue team just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Rose it's not the first time he's had to rescue someone from the sandbar, which gets quickly covered with water.

"At low tide there are lots of people who want to walk out to Charles Island and back, but they have to know what they're doing," said Rose, "they go out there at the wrong time and they get stuck."

Rose says he and firefighter Ryan Antonino picked up both women and brought them back to shore.

According to Rose, the women were not seriously hurt, but suffered exhaustion from trying to fight the current.

Milford fire officials say they obtained the Jet Ski specifically for situations like Tuesday's, in hopes of cutting down response times in the area.