July 12, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 45 GUARDING THE BEACH Ocean Cleared Each Day When Guards Go Off Duty OCEAN CITY – “17:25. (5:25 p.m.) The Ocean City Beach Patrol is now up and clearing the water.” This message is broadcast daily through the Beach Patrol dispatch center, and immediately followed by all SRTs, covering 10 miles of beach, simultaneously whistling and pointing toward the west with semaphore flags. Following the exodus of swimmers, beach patrons with the same questions, “what’s going on?” or, “why are you clearing the water?” approach many of our lifeguards. This is what the Ocean City Beach Patrol does every single day we guard the beaches. Our beach patrol has always taken efforts to let swimmers know when we were off duty. That has included, and continues to include, published hours and a community supported education campaign. Until 1999, we stood on the platforms of our chairs for the last five minutes of each day. That practice had been in place for at least 40 years and the idea was to indicate to those still in the ocean that the lifeguards were about to leave. According to Captain Butch Arbin, the average number of after-hours drownings was as high as 3-4 per summer. In 1999, by suggestion of Dennis Dare, the city manager at that time, we began completely clearing the ocean before our departure. Since we implemented the clearing policy, the average drownings per summer has fall- ues to come to mind even years after en to one or two. it happened, and I think it hits home Through July and August, the av- personally with me because I’m a erage weekly number of visitors in father of two. Several years ago, two town, at any time in July or August, small children became stuck in a rip is 300,000. We are a high-volume current only about 15 minutes before resort area, and although the police the guards came on duty. The mother patrol the beach for criminal activity, was forced to attempt to rescue the there is no provision in the city code two. Fortunately, the two children that restricts swimming when the were able to use the mother to surbeach patrol is off duty. It is not un- vive, but sadly the mother did not usual for the police, fire/EMS or our make it. Another 15 minutes and it off-duty personnel to make would have been a routine dozens of evening or early rescue for our guards. morning rescues or to be inSurely, before- and aftervolved with C.P.R. related to hours drownings can occur a drowning. In fact, this year on any beach. Like all beach there have also been several patrols, we do everything we close calls when individuals can to reduce these tragic chose to swim while the occurrences. Clearly, public beach patrol was off duty, but education is the key. luckily for these individuals RYAN COWDER We have found further their lack of respect for the ocean success in calling all swimmers awas not paid for by their life. shore before we get off duty. If a polUnfortunately, during my 15 years icy can save a life, it is a policy we on the beach patrol, I can recall sev- want to use. By clearing the water eral before or after hours situations in prior to our departure, any swimwhich someone entered an unguard- mers who do re-enter the ocean ed ocean to swim and found them- know there is no longer a guard selves quickly needing assistance. watching them. Countless swimEven more tragic are the ones who do mers ask, “Why clear the water?” not survive to tell about how they Their questions then give us the opwere rescued. Having been involved portunity to remind them to “Keep in some of these rescues myself, I your feet in the sand until the lifecannot even begin to explain the im- guard’s in the stand.” Arbin notes that in his 41 years pact that it has on the family as well as the emergency personnel who re- with the beach patrol he has known spond. One particular situation contin- of, or been involved with dozens of drownings and near drownings that have occurred outside our hours. He says, “The single, strongest message that we try to impress on people is that they should stay out of the ocean when the Beach Patrol is not on duty.” Clearing the water at the end of our shift may seem routine, but we must never take the goal of this policy lightly. Before we started clearing the water of swimmers at 5:25, it is very possible that a swimmer could have entered the water while guards were on duty, only to turn around and find the stands empty and pulled back for the night. In most cases, this would not be a problem. However, if the swimmer were to become caught in a rip current, the situation could quickly take a tragic turn, despite their intentions to swim only under the watchful eyes of the beach patrol. In contrast, by pulling everyone out of the ocean before we leave the beach, we know that those who enter the water during unguarded hours are taking that risk knowingly. It is critical that we continue our efforts to educate the public, warning them of the dangers of swimming on unguarded beaches. – Ryan Cowder Special To The Dispatch (The writer has been with the Beach Patrol for 15 years and is currently a sergeant. He is an assistant principal at Stephen Decatur High School.)