Lifeguards save 1,300-plus, but its all in a day's work

Christen Schier, 38, of Philadelphia, and Jay Horn, 45, of Philadelphia, were coming off the beach in Ocean City on a day where the waters were described rough.

"Choppy was the word of the day," Horn said.

The two have been coming to Ocean City for three years, Schier said, and have visited different beach towns between their visits to Ocean City.

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And, although the water conditions weren't ideal, the two weren't worried.

"I felt safe," Schier said. "It seems not noticeably different than in years past."

Roughly two months into the beach season, lifeguards agree with the two Philadelphians, but know the worst is yet to come, especially with the conditions in recent days.

Since a low pressure system hit Delmarva during the weekend of July 29 and 30, the waters have been rough, with a man drowning on July 31, three people rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard on July 30 and two children carried out by a riptide on July 31, who were later rescued by a kayaker.

Between July 30 and July 31, Ocean City Beach Patrol made nearly 350 saves, said Lt. Mike Stone with the Ocean City Beach Patrol.

And the season is about to pick up, he added.

Ocean City has made 1,378 as of Aug. 1 , Stone said, up a thousand from last summer at this time. While high, it is not as many as they had at the same mark in 2014. 

"It's definitely above last year," Stone said. "But not as bad as two years ago."

Despite being up nearly 1,000 saves from last season, the season hasn't seen a lot of rough surf, and the year has been more of an average year, Stone said.

An offseason recruiting plan paid off, he added, and the lifeguards the town was able to attract have been keeping a close eye on the surf.

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Up north in Delaware, the year has been described as average, too.

Capt. Joe Donnelly of the Bethany Beach Patrol described the season as "garden variety," with his beach patrol members making 122 rescues as of July 31 with 44 of those coming in the period between July 24 and July 31.

"It has been a typical season, very similar to last season in a lot of respects," he said. "We had a good June, got our new folks trained and dusted the rust off. July has been quiet for the most part."

Rehoboth, too, has had an average year, officials say.

After a rough start to the season with less than ideal water conditions, Capt. Kent Buckson of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol said the waters in July have been much calmer.

As of July 31, Rehoboth Beach has made "at least" 165 saves, with most of those saves coming in the month of June, Buckson said. This comes with the added responsibility of looking out for tents and canopies on the beach, Buckson said.

"I believe it has been a crowded summer," he said. "The weather has been great except for the heat, but that doesn't keep people away. Today (July 24) is the first overcast day we've had in a while."

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But beach patrol officials know the second half of the season is always busier.

Buckson said he is anticipating the season to pick up come August and September because July has no wind to stir up the Atlantic, meaning the waters are calmer.

That all will end when the Atlantic hurricane season ramps up during the second half of the summer.

When the season began June 1, experts predicted it would be busier than normal. And with the second half of the season set to begin on Aug. 1, it still looks to be a busy season, said Mike Dutter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia.

There have been no storms that have made a direct impact on the mid-Atlantic coast this season, Dutter said, but the possibility for storms to hit the Maryland and Delaware beaches cannot be ruled out.

And while hurricanes are the main reason the surf is rougher during this time of year, they aren't the sole reason, Dutter said.

"Another factor would simply be once you get into September, you have more systems coming off the U.S.," Dutter said. "Just usual storm systems, and that can increase waves."

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Even with the increased possibility for rough surf as the season progresses, not all beachgoers are nervous.

Stacy Smith, 42, of Rehoboth Beach isn't concerned by the surf at the beach since her whole family grew up at the beach, she said, as she and her family gazed out at the ocean on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

"We feel safe," she said. "We are all pretty educated on the surf."

And beach patrols are gearing up to keep families such as the Smiths safe.

The training the new beach patrol members have to undergo at the beginning of the season should prep them for the busy second half of the season, said Stone, the Ocean City Beach Patrol lieutenant.

Ocean City also held its annual crew competition at the end of July, making sure the beach patrol continues to practice its craft. 

"They are all first aid and CPR certified, and they have all been through our training and are up to date physically," he said. "They are ready to go."

Up in Rehoboth Beach, Buckson, the Rehoboth Beach Patrol captain, said his crew is ready to face the second half of the season.

And, while the season may seem garden variety, Donnelly, the Bethany Beach Patrol Captain, said he knows it can change at any second in Bethany.

"Our guards are ready," Donnelly said. "Sometimes we need a busy day to keep us on our toes. We're looking forward to a busy August."

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