By MADDY VITALE
Lifeguards in Ocean City were busy rescuing bathers and watching over countless others who splashed in the surf over the Fourth of July weekend.
Mayor Jay Gillian commented Monday about all of the personnel working together to keep the residents and visitors safe.
“I could not be more proud of our lifeguards, police, and fire and the entire city team for handling all of the visitors and residents that are enjoying our town,” he said.
Ocean City Beach Patrol Director Allan Karas said work has been nonstop to ensure bathers are safe on the seven-mile island.
“Not only are we slammed with people, we have been slammed with work up and down the city and particularly in the south end,” Karas said Monday. “The value of our jet skis really bore out this weekend.”
Karas said of the weekend leading up to the Fourth of July holiday on Tuesday that the busiest days were definitely Sunday and Monday.
Ocean City is well-prepared with staff and watercraft should the lifeguards have a rescue that requires more than a “fish-out,” he said.
“We probably had 140 people working on the beaches today, including eight EMTs,” Karas noted.
And all of the staffing is definitely needed, he stressed.
“There will be 100-plus rescues over the weekend. Since Saturday, there have been at least 100 rescues,” he said.
Lifeguards Roland Fricke, Jackson Rennix and Charlotte Giacobetti kept watch at Eighth Street on Sunday.
Rennix said that their focus is always on prevention, making sure that swimmers stay in guarded areas and don’t swim too far out.
“We have had a lot of fish-outs today in the south end,” Rennix said on Sunday.
The major weekend has put some new lifeguards to the test and they have proven themselves, he noted.
In addition to staffing throughout the week, the Rapid Response Team for after-hours rescues will be on hand at 12th and 34th Streets until 10 p.m. on July 4.
“Our 45 rookies are really getting trial by fire,” Karas said. “They are really working tremendously.
Neighboring Sea Isle City was also very busy as crowds packed the beaches.
Sea Isle also had numerous “fish-outs” in which lifeguards rushed to the water to rescue swimmers, city spokeswoman Katherine Custer said Monday.
“It’s been a very busy holiday weekend and we’re happy to report that our beaches have been very crowded with beachgoers,” Custer said. “While we have had some beach patrol rescues, that’s not out of the ordinary for a busy weekend such as this.”
Fish-outs is a term for when there is a rescue but the lifeguards on that particular stand don’t have to call for backup.
“One or two lifeguards on the stand are able to bring the bathers back to shore safely,” Custer explained.
There was one weekend rescue in Sea Isle that required backup.
“They also had to perform a rescue with a catamaran sailor. Apparently, a sailor was separated from his vessel, and they used a jet ski with a sled behind it to recover the sailor safely,” Custer said.
Custer noted that she did not have the information immediately on whether the sailor fell in or jumped in to retrieve something.
With air temps in the 80s coupled with plenty of humidity, the water temps in the high 60s to low 70s made the ocean especially appealing to swimmers, Custer said.
“There have been some big waves and rip currents and because it is starting to get warmer, people are starting to go in a little deeper,” Custer said. “They are definitely enjoying the ocean but we are asking everyone to use an extra amount of caution.”
Sea Isle lifeguards Carly Mulvaney and Callie Reed were guarding 42nd Street beach on Sunday.
They watched attentively and noted, as Custer did, that the waves were a bit choppy.
“The wind is making the water a little rough,” Mulvaney said. “We are making sure that they are staying between the flags.”
