Sun, surf and sand drew record crowds to the eight-mile-long oceanfront and made the summer of 2015 a very busy season for the Ocean City Beach Patrol. The final numbers are not in yet, but look for the fifth straight year of over $3.5 million collected by the beach taggers. The money helped pay for bather protection in Ocean City.
The 165-member squad, nationally known for their lifesaving skills and athletic prowess, was prepared for the busy summer. Under the leadership of the officer corps, the lifeguards upheld the beach patrol’s 116-year-old tradition of excellence in protecting beach users. The OCBP, a branch of the city’s fire department, was led by Fire Chief Christopher Bruenig, OCBP Chief Tom Mullineaux, Senior Lt. Brian Booth, Senior Lt. Mark Jamieson, Lt. Stephanie Faber, Lt. Ron Kirk, Lt. Paul Gallagher, Lt. Matt Garbutt, and Lt. Drew Muzslay.
Beach Patrol medics, working at first aid stations located at 1st, 12th, 34th and 59th streets, handled many beach-related injuries and medical emergencies. The medics were: Senior Medic Patrick Dugan, Chris Dollarton, Adam Dryden, J. J. Francis, Ali Gregory, James Nunan, Amanda Grau, Patty Jordan, Nevin O’Kane, and Lauren Zabilowicz.
Senior Guard Dave Lill kept all the lifesaving equipment in top notch condition.
The following were hired as rookie lifeguards after they demonstrated their lifesaving skills: Quinn Cassidy, Frank Christy, Matthew Crawford, Tigue Devine, Brad Donohue, Andrew Duff, Joe Furze, Jake Graziotto, Ryan Greer, Ryan King, Patrick Kistler, Derek Kneisel, Christopher Kowal, Madeline McCabe, Brian McGroarty, David Millar, Ryan Mitchell, Jared Schiavone, Jason Schiavone, William Stahl, Kyle Stanley, Noel Styer, Brandon Truong, Drew Winkler, and Hannah Wray.
Dave Millar and Pat Kistler won the rookie doubles rowing race. Matt Crawford and Frank Christy finished in second place.
Tres Ostien and Shanin Theiss returned to the OCBP after a taking a few years off.
Senior Guard Bryan Theiss and Senior Guard Paul Boardman spent the summer teaching the rookie lifeguards ocean rescue techniques and how to keep bathers out of dangerous rip currents. They were assisted by the following Senior Guards: Matt Betson, Bryan Chojnacki, Chris Denn, Jon Howell, Mark McElwee, Tony Mehalic, Fran Reed, and Andy Wise.
The Ocean City lifeguards, as part of their lifesaving training and conditioning program, participated in the Ocean City Beach Patrol intra-squad tournament. The swimming, rowing, running and paddling races are held during July and August after the lifeguards go off duty for the day. The winners of the intra-squad competitions represent the OCBP in the inter-city lifeguard competitions.
The following lifeguards were the top competitors in the 2014 intra-squad events:
Doubles Row (male): 1. Ryan Clark and Shanin Theiss, 2. Ryan Impagliazzo and Sean McCann, 3. Shayne Rockey and Fred Cabulong
Doubles Row (female): 1. Stephanie Hauck and Erin Curry, 2. Casey Merrill and Maddie Brady
Singles Row (male): 1. Ryan Clark, 2. Shanin Theiss, 3. Sean McCann
Singles Row (female): 1. Casey Merrill
Swim (male): 1. Quinn Cassidy, 2. Sean McCaffrey, 3. Brian McGroarty
Swim (female): 1. Lexi Santer, 2. Sarah Westley, 3. Erin Myers
Box Swim (male): 1. Quinn Cassidy, 2. Brian McGroarty, 3. Sean McCaffrey
Box Swim (female): 1. Lexi Santer, 2. Kara Sulzer, 3. Sarah Westley
Rescue Board (male): 1. Brian Pasternak, 2. Luke Nicholl, 3. Frank Brady
Rescue Board (female): 1. Lexi Santer, 2. Samantha Brady, 3. Maddie Brady
Surf Dash (male): 1. Shanin Theiss, 2. Ryan McCrossan, 3. Pat Cusack, 4. Andrew Moon
Surf Dash (female): 1. Lexi Santer, 2. Sarah Westley, 3. Erin Myers, 4. Samantha Brady
Superathlon: 1. Ryan Clark 2. Matt Garbutt, 3. Brian Pasternak
Two-mile run: 1. Andrew Shaw, 2. Eddie Keenan, 3. Jordan Baker
When it comes to winning lifeguard inter-city competitions, no South Jersey beach patrol has a better record than the OCBP. This summer the local lifeguards won the following events: Cape May County Lifeguard Championship (Shanin Theiss, Matt Garbutt, Brian Pasternak, Sean McCaffrey, Brian McGroarty, Ryan Clark, Ryan McCrossan, Pat Cussack, Andrew Moon); South Jersey Lifeguard Swim Meet (Derek Knisek, Quinn Cassidy, Sean McCaffrey, Ryan Clark, Brian McGroarty, Brian Mattingly, Lexi Santer, Anthony Czar, Andrew Duff, Erin Curry, Sarah Westley, Noel Styer); T. John Carey Masters Swim (Quinn Cassidy); Cape May Point Women’s Lifeguard Challenge (Lexi Santer); South Jersey Rescue Board Championship (Brian Pasternak, Lexi Santer); United States Lifesaving Association Swim Championship (Bill Dorney).
“OCBP guard chosen for national team” was the front page headline of the August 5edition of the Ocean City Sentinel. The article reported, “Lexi Santer, an Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguard and Duquesne University swimmer, has spent her summer navigating the surf to compete against lifeguards throughout Atlantic and Cape May counties. Come September, Santer will put her lifeguarding skills to test on the world stage, when she travels to the International Surf Rescue Challenge in Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, Australia.”
The OCBP reunion weekend, August 14-16, was a big success: the local lifeguards competed in the 76th annual South Jersey Lifeguard Championship; inducted Karsten Giesecke, Jim Sullivan, and Paul Mangen into the OCBP Hall of Fame at the reunion party at Sandi Pointe; and 30 lifeguards competed in the 3rd annual Alumni Races held on the Seaview Harbor beach.
The lifeguards held their Junior Lifeguard Program where 180 boys and girls received instruction in ocean safety and rescue methods; sponsored the 36th annual T. John Carey Masters Ocean Swim with 200 swimmers; for the 106th time since 1901, participated in the Ocean City Baby Parade; and published a 56-page yearbook.
The summer of 2016 is only nine months away and the Ocean City Beach Patrol is looking forward to building on its century-old reputation of excellence in bather protection.
— By Fred Miller, historian and former Ocean City Beach Patrol lieutenant
