Michael Bolduc got an up-close-and-personal look at just what the hurricanes moving up the Atlantic Coast are doing these days.

And the 52-year-old New Gloucester man wants to make sure Mainers take the warnings about strong riptides to heart after getting swept up by the currents himself on Monday afternoon at Old Orchard Beach.

“It just scared the heck out of me to see that type of thing,” Bolduc said. “I’ve never seen it that bad. You have no control. You go in over your head and it just kind of pulls you under.”

Bolduc and his family found themselves in the same situation as hundreds of people who made their way to Maine’s beaches Monday in hopes of getting relief from the heat. Powerful currents from Tropical Storm Danielle were literally toppling people over this week, according to WGME-13.

The TV station’s website reported Tuesday that lifeguards at OOB pulled 16 people out of the water because of dangerous riptides brought on by Danielle. The lifeguards went on to tell the news channel that Tuesday was one of the worst days of the summer because the waves were so powerful they knocked people over and hurt them.

Just one day earlier, Bolduc said that he and his sister-in-law were swimming at OOB using boogie boards when they got caught up in the rip current and found themselves farther and farther from shore. He said that both were experienced swimmers and were using the boards to help make their way to shore when his wife frantically signaled him from shore.

Bolduc said that a young boy who was not wearing a life jacket was being pulled under by the strong current near where he and his sister-in-law were swimming.

“We tried to get over to him, but he just kept getting pulled under,” Bolduc said.

He and his sister-in-law eventually reached the child by swimming sideways in the water, pulling the boy to safety.