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There’s good reason—always swim near a lifeguard

By Carolyn Miller


Lugging beach chairs, umbrellas, sand toys, and coolers, thousands crowd the beaches of Cape May County every day throughout the summer.
Find a spot on the sand, spread the blanket, and take a cool dip in the ocean. It’s the making of a perfect day.
And someone is watching to make it all possible—the lifeguard.
Every town along the oceanfront has a beach patrol trained and ready to handle any problem for beach-goers. And being a member of the beach patrol is more than just a summer job. Lifeguards who sit on the stands, day after day, know the seriousness of their jobs.
When rookies sign up to be lifeguards, they have a tough road ahead, starting with the qualifying test:
• Swim 500 yards in a pool in 10 minutes.
• Run a mile on the sand in under seven minutes.
• Conquer 500 yards in the surf.
• Pass an interview.
In North Wildwood recently, 20 recruits showed up on the day of the test. Conditions were unpleasant, with an air temperature of 66º and a water temperature of 57º in rough seas.
Thirteen recruits passed; now onto rookie school to learn CPR, first aid, ocean rescue, and rowing techniques.
According to Chief Tony Cavalier, it’s the best training available.
This year, North Wildwood will field a squad of 65 guards. In Avalon, 95 guards cover 22 protected beaches.
Lifeguards are scheduled for five or six days a week from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. They earn about $10 an hour, with a bonus if they stay after Labor Day.
All uniforms are supplied, and the guards are each equipped with a radio and can buoy. Living quarters can be a problem, with rentals slim and expensive.
On average, a beach patrol suffers a 20 percent turnover every year and those guards who do return must re-test as well.
The romantic mystique about being a lifeguard is a myth; Baywatch reruns and Gidget reincarnations notwithstanding.
Besides being vigilant for trouble in the water, guards respond to medical emergencies like heat stroke, possible heart attack, jellyfish bites, cuts, and lost children.
And romance? It’s really not a pick-up spot. In fact, in Avalon, a guard can be suspended for talking while on duty.
And every day brings physical training and organized drills—every day!
“Competition keeps training foremost,” said Avalon’s lifeguard chief Murray Wolf. “There is a strong racing and competition program, including challenge races, and after-work events every Friday throughout the county, starting the first week in July.”
One of the new guards for North Wildwood is Joseph Atzert, who lives in Court House. Atzert, 20, is a geology major at Stockton College. His brother was a guard and recommended it to him.
“I’m looking forward to the challenges,” he said.
Veteran Kevin McGarrity is a local resident who has been a North Wildwood lifeguard for seven years.
“The best thing about this job is that my office has a beach view,” said McGarrity, who loves the job and will attend Penn State Law School in the fall.
His fondest memory is from summer 05, when the North Wildwood squad won the Cape May County championships.
“This is a perfect job for someone who loves the beach and enjoys being physically active,” he noted in a telephone interview. “It doesn’t get boring. You’re not sitting there all day. Your day is broken up with the lost child, or a minor injury.
“It’s the ebb and flow of the beach. Even in questionable weather, if enough people are out, we’ll be out.”
Like all those who guard these beaches, McGarrity hopes that tourists know this is a stressful job—serious work that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
So when—not if—you head to the beach this summer, be mindful of just how difficult and unglamorous this job can be.
And, oh yes; always swim near a lifeguard.
cmiller@cmcherald.com

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