Ocean City Beach Patrol makes over 100 rescues during last summer weekend

The Ocean City Beach Patrol made more than 100 water rescues on Saturday — on the last weekend of the 2018 summer season.

Due to the beach patrol's summer season coming to an end, fewer lifeguard stands were on the beach this weekend, so the remaining stands were more spread out, Capt. Butch Arbin said.

This extra distance meant lifeguards had to travel farther to respond to swimmers in need of assistance or rescue. Normally, the full lifeguard staff is able to educate beachgoers of the day's conditions before they enter the water, but with a smaller staff in September that is more difficult, Arbin said.

"Less education means more rescues," Arbin said. "Our big push after August is to swim in front of a lifeguard."

Although he doesn't have the exact rescue numbers for the summer yet, Arbin said he estimates they are on the higher end this year. Usually, the Ocean City Beach Patrol sees anywhere from 2,000-4,000 rescues during the summer, he added.

A majority of these rescues are due to rip currents, especially during tropical storm season, Arbin said.

On Sunday, Ocean City Beach Patrol staff members started to take down all of the lifeguard stands on the beach, and the patrol has now entered maintenance mode, Arbin said. The beach patrol retains a small mobile rescue unit during the offseason that can respond to distress calls on the beach.

Arbin emphasized the importance of not swimming until May when the lifeguards are back on duty. If lifeguards had not been on the beach this past Saturday, Arbin said he is sure some of those 100 people who needed rescues or assists would have died.

"The warm water and nice weather isn't over yet, so we still have about a month and a half that people will continue to swim in the ocean," Arbin said. "But our biggest message to the public right now is for them to enjoy all the other activities in Ocean City. No swimming until May."

Contact reporter Sara Swann at sswann@delmarvanow.com or on Twitter @saramswann.

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