summer 2005 - cdn.ymaws.com · can now find archival documents covering the first years of usla,...

36 AMERICAN LIFEGUARD MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2005

S U M M E R 2 0 0 5

AMERICAN LIFEGUARD MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2005 35

USLA O F F I C E R S

USLA Executive BoardPresidentB. Chris Brewster, San Diego, [email protected]

Vice-PresidentJerry Gavin, Chicago, [email protected]

TreasurerGreg Farry, Bradley Beach, [email protected]

SecretaryDave Shotwell, Ocean Grove, [email protected]

Recurrent Rep.J.K. “Duke” Brown, Myrtle Beach, [email protected]

International LiaisonEric Bauer, Newport Beach, [email protected]

AdvisorTim Gallagher, [email protected]

Medical AdvisorDr. Peter Werniki, Vero Beach, [email protected]

USLA Legal AdvisorJohn “Chip” More, [email protected]

American Lifeguard Magazine StaffPublisher/EditorMike Bartlett, Huntington Beach, [email protected]

Staff WritersEric Sandy, Del Mar, CA

B. Chris Brewster, San Diego, CA,

Dr. Peter Hartsock, US Public Health Service

Rick Gould, Santa Clarita, CA

Vince Lombardi, Camp Pendleton, CA

Phil Rogers, Mid-Atlantic

Financial AdvisorGreg Farry, Bradley Beach, [email protected]

Membership LiaisonCharlie Hartl, Avon-By-the-Sea,[email protected]

Design/TypesettingJennifer Velasquez, Torrance, [email protected]

Staff PhotographersPhil Rogers, Mid AtlanticAndrew Healey, Point Lookout, NYFrank Arena, Piscataway, NJ

USLA Regional PresidentsNew EnglandRian [email protected]

Mid-AtlanticEd [email protected]

South AtlanticKevin [email protected]

SoutheastPatrick [email protected]

Great LakesJoe [email protected]

Gulf CoastVic [email protected]

Pacific NorthwestCathy [email protected]

Southwest (CSLSA)Rob [email protected]


Bylaws and PoliciesJohn “Chip” More,[email protected]

CertificationB. Chris [email protected]

CompetitionCarl [email protected]

DevelopmentCathy [email protected]

Equipment ResearchDave [email protected]

Grant WritingGreg [email protected]

Heroic ActsNikki Bowienbowie2ccprc.com

InternationalB. Chris [email protected]

Junior LifeguardsReenie [email protected]

MagazineMike [email protected]

MembershipJoe [email protected]

National CurriculumCarl [email protected]

Public EducationPeter [email protected]

Public InformationTom [email protected]

StatisticsRick [email protected]

Ways & MeansGreg [email protected]

WebsiteCharles Hartl, Avon-By-the-Sea,[email protected]

USLA Committee Chairs

I N T H I S I S S U E

United States Lifesaving Association Mission Statement

www.usla.org866-FOR-USLA (367-8752)

We are America’s nonprofit, professional association of beach lifguardsand open water rescuers. USLA works to reduce the incidence of deathand injury in the aquatic environment through public education, nationallifeguard standards, training programs, promotion of high levels of lifeguard readiness, and other means. All correspondence other than forthe magazine should be sent to: USLA Corporate Office, P.O. Box 366,Huntington Beach, CA 92648.

American Lifeguard MagazineAmerican Lifeguard Magazine is published tri-annually, and each member of the USLA receives a one-year subscription as a provision oftheir paid membership. If you wish to publish an article or submit a letter to the editor, address all submissions to: American LifeguardMagazine, 15481 Cottonwood Circle, Huntington Beach, CA, 92647, [email protected]. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form byany means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise - without the prior consent of ALM. Unsolicited materials, including all photographs, are submitted at the sender’s risk and ALM accepts no responsibility. The opinions expressed are strictly those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ALM or the USLA.

ALM Advertising Information The USLA manages the American Lifeguard Magazine and publishes it tri-annually with a Summer Issue (July 1), Winter Issue (Nov. 1), and aSpring Issue (Feb. 1). The 36 page publication is mailed directly to its13,000 members comprised of ocean lifeguards, administrators, juniorguards, competitors and alumni. The American Lifeguard Magazineserves to inform USLA members on a variety of public safety topics ranging from training and educational programs to innovative products,practices and services. More importantly, it is the only national maga-zine to target beach lifeguards and open water rescuers. The rates are:

Advertisement Size One Issue Three Issues Savings

Business card $85 $225 ($75 each) $30

Quarter page $175 $480 ($160 each) $45

Half page $285 $765 ($255 each) $90

Full page $450 $1200 ($400 each) $150

Full page (color) $500 $1320 ($440 each) $180

Inside Covers(color) $500 $1320 ($440 each) $180

Back Cover(color) $575 $1500 ($500 each) $225

Contact the Publisher/Editor, Michael S. Bartlett at (714) 345-5792, oremail at [email protected] for questions or space reservations.

Editor’s Note: If your photo is used on the cover of the ALM, the USLAwill send you a check for $50.00. Please email your photos [email protected] with your name and mailing address.


Cover Shot: Newport Beach Lifeguard Don Gray leapsoff their rescue vessel “Sea Watch” and body surfs thewave to a victim inside. Newport Beach, CA. Photo byBrent Jacobsen.

Corrections from last issue:

Chris Clarke is credited as the photographer for thephotos in the “Black Cloud” article.

Chris Brewster was not the author of the “FloridaPanhandle Rescue” article (author not identified at this time).

Emails corrected: [email protected] [email protected]

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

FEATURES

Bob Moore Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

New Facility, Huntington Beach . . . . . . . 12

Sandy Sentinels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Antique Aquatic Americana . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Local10.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

USLA Promotes New Burn Medication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

My Story - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

RESCUES

Electrifying Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

COMPETITION

21st All-Women Set For July 27 . . . . . . . 18

INTERNATIONAL

Pacific Islands Region Established in USLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

I N T H I S I S S U E

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G EB. Chris Brewster, President - San Diego, CA

What’s going on in USLA thesedays? Plenty. Here are just a few ofthe many USLA initiatives underwayto prevent drowning and promoteprofessionalism in lifesaving. There’snot enough space to include them all.

USLA “Training and EquipmentGuidelines for Rescuers UsingPersonal Watercraft as a RescueTool” have been developed,approved by the Board of Directors,and published in the LifeguardLibrary section of www.usla.org.Now there are national recommend-ed standards for use of PWC in res-cue. The leadership of Ralph Goto(Honolulu) and the hard work behindthe scenes of Jimmy Barros(Honolulu) were critical to this devel-opment, but so was the input ofexperts from throughout the US whocontributed to this document.

What steps should lifesavingorganizations take to protect partici-pants in open water swim events,like triathlons and ocean swims?There were no national standardsuntil Rick Gould (former Santa CruzLifeguard Captain and USLA’s volun-teer statistician) drafted, “OpenWater Swim Event SafetyGuidelines.” They were consideredby the National CertificationCommittee, massaged based oninput from a variety of agencies withextensive expertise, approved by the Board of Directors, and have now been published in the Lifeguard Library.

The Pacific Islands Region hasbeen created as USLA’s ninth region.As its title suggests, it will includethe Hawaiian Islands and all of theAmerican territories in the PacificOcean. Congratulations to our life-saving compatriots in the islands. It’sbeen a long time coming. We lookforward to renewed energy from thePacific, comparable to the size of the

waves there and the heroism of theguards who brave them.

The rip current education pro-gram upon which USLA embarkedlast year with the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration hasgained real traction. We offer freeartwork for signs and brochures onour websites (see the Rip Currentsection of www.usla.org). Many life-saving organizations and communi-ties have reprinted the brochuresand signs, and distributed themwidely. The State of Florida has dis-tributed the signs throughout thestate. Lives will be saved througheducation about the phenomenonthat produces over 80% of rescues atsurf beaches.

The Virginia Beach LifeguardAssociation, with the leadership ofTom Gill, has been working prodi-giously to convene an extraordinaryNational Lifeguard Championshipsfor 2005. We are all looking forwardto the 11th to 13th of August for thespirited competition and deep cama-raderie that these events bring tolifesaving. Check www.uslanation-als.org for details.

A new National Team is beingformed to represent the USA atRescue 2006 (www.rescue2006.com)in Victoria, Australia in February2006. The Board of Directors hasconfirmed USLA’s support. Now it’s

up to Team Manager Kevin Sweat(Volusia County) and Team CoachMitch Kahn (Los Angeles County) toassemble and organize a winningteam. We know they’re up to it.Meantime, thanks to Jay Butki (LACounty), who organized a team toparticipate in the International SurfChallenge in Australia and raisedmuch of the funding. As well, thanksto the team members who participat-ed and the several USLA memberswho donated funds.

As you will learn elsewhere inthis issue, USLA has entered into anagreement to provide official productstatus to a new first aid cream forthe treatment of sunburn and relatedmaladies. You’ll see the USLA logofeatured prominently on this productand opportunities will be extendedto chapters and regions to use it infundraisers. Remember to supportproducts that support lifesaving.

For the first time in decades,USLA has produced an AnnualReport. You can find a copy in theLifeguard Library section ofwww.usla.org. Expect to see these reports issued annually fromnow on.

Also in the Lifeguard Library, youcan now find archival documentscovering the first years of USLA,from 1964 to 1967. For those of youwho are history buffs and wonderwhat was behind the formation ofour organization, you can now findthe answers.

The International Life SavingFederation (www.usla.org), of whichUSLA is a Full Member, has reorgan-ized its committee structure. Thereare now three Commissions focusingon Lifesaving, Sport, and Business.USLA representatives fill key roles.Within the Lifesaving Commission,Peter Davis (Galveston) was appoint-ed to represent the ILS Americas


to page 6...

President Brewster recognizes Tim Gallagher for his unselfish efforts

leading the USLA National CompetitionTeams over the past 14 years!

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G Efrom page 5

Region in leading the developmentof lifesaving throughout North,Central, and South America. RalphGoto (Honolulu) was appointed tothe Rescue and EducationCommittee. Dr. Peter Wernicki (USLAMedical Advisor) was reappointed tothe Medical Committee. Both CharlesHartl (USLA Membership Liaison)and Tom Daly (Long Beach, NY) wereappointed to positions within theSport Commission. I now serve asCommissioner of Lifesaving.

Will we ever see internationalstandards for beach signs? Yes, ifRalph Goto has anything to do withit. He’s been appointed by theAmerican National StandardsInstitute to represent the USA on aninternational working group con-vened by the InternationalOrganization for Standardization(www.iso.org) to work with ILS todevelop international standards.

Ralph has been a leader in this areaand we can expect great things fromhis participation.

A metaphoric tip of the hat toJunior Lifeguard Committee ChairReenie Boyer (Newport Beach, CA).Under her leadership and foresight,along with the assistance of key JGprogram overseers and agencies,junior lifeguard membership inUSLA has swelled to over 7,000.

Behind the scenes, Legal AdvisorJohn “Chip” More (Avon-by-the-Sea,NJ) has been toiling to bring about amuch needed update to our Bylaws.It’s not the most stimulating job, buthaving solid rules for conducting ourbusiness is essential to comity andcongruence. His work and that ofthose assisting him is critical to ourongoing efforts.

USLA was the dream of a fewlifesavers who had a vision for anorganization that could help advance

our profession and help reducedrowning nationwide through collab-oration. That dream only surviveswith your support. Sign up throughyour chapter, your region, or on theUSLA website. Be a part of the professional organization that stands for you.


President Brewster meets with the Mayor of Miami at the introduction of the USLA

Spring Conference in Miami Beach, Florida

LA COUNTY LIFEGUARD SECTION CHIEF BOB MOORERETIRES AFTER NEARLY 39 YEARS IN LIFESAVING

Michael S. Bartlett, Huntington Beach, CA

Beginning his career in 1967 as a

lifeguard with the County of Los

Angeles, Robert A. Moore worked

his first two

years at

Puddingstone

Reservoir in the

Parks and

Recreation Dept.

(later called Dept.

of Beaches). Bob

worked all

Sections beginning in 1969 under

Dept. of Beaches. Bob’s passion for

competition and education earned

him the rank of All-American in

Swimming in 1967 and earned an

Associate of Arts degree in 1968.

“I signed a payroll deduction

form for the National Surf Lifesaving

Association (NSLSA) and the Los

Angeles County Lifeguard

Association (LACOLA),” Moore

explained on his early involvement

in the lifesaving association. “As a

rookie, I had no idea what I was sign-

ing, but it was strongly suggested

that I sign! I received a decal and

that was the last

that I heard about

both organizations.

The NSLSA had

some competition

events up and down

the coast. I became

involved in my local

association and was

elected Secretary.

There, I was

involved in hosting

a NSLSA meeting. WOW! I worked

with lifeguards from Southern

California, legends like Vince

Morehouse, Max

Bowman, Bob

Burnside, Don

Rohrer, Buddy

Belche, Bob

Shea, Bill Owen,

Tim Dorsey, and

many more. They

were administra-

tors, chiefs, and officers while I was

a mere recurrent.”

In 1970, Bob married his high

school sweetheart Sandy and they

are still married today. Pursuing his

passion for competition and educa-

tion, Bob earned a Bachelors of Arts

degree in 1971 and lettered in swim-

ming and water polo throughout his

competitive career. Bob was an

assistant water polo coach at the uni-

versity level and an assistant water

polo and swimming coach of high

school championship teams. Bob

earned a Life Standard Secondary

Teaching Credential in 1972.

Continuing his competition pas-

sion for the aquatic sports, Bob refer-

eed swimming and water polo at

both the high school and university

levels. During those years, Bob con-

tinued working as a tower lifeguard

in LA County during the summers

and holidays, and later as Jr. Guard

Instructor.

Bob’s passion and competitive

drive showed in the lifesaving arena

as well. He has been a champion

competitor locally, nationally, and

internationally. Bob achieved the

highest lifeguard competitive team

honor as a member of five winning

Taplin teams as a Doryman in which

his name appears on the internation-

ally recognized Taplin Bell Trophy.

Bob has been a member of many

National Championship Teams repre-

senting LA County regionally and

nationally. He has been the National

Doryman’s Association National

Champion many times and he has

been a member of the International

Surf Festival Committee for thirty


to page 8...

“As a rookie, I had no idea what I was signing, but it wasstrongly suggested

that I sign!”

BOB MOORE RETIRES

years. Bob has been the official

starter and head official for the

International Surf Festival for over

ten years. He has served as a local,

regional, national, and international

official for lifeguard competitions.

Bob has been the USLA Team Coach

and Team Manager to South Africa

twice and National Coach hosting

Australia. He also has been the

Assistant Manager of the California

Team traveling to Australia and New

Zealand to defend the Wieland

Shield.

Bob’s passion to pursue a career

in lifesaving became a reality when

he was promoted to a permanent

lifeguard in 1974. At this point, Bob

knew that he would soon be able to

dedicate more time to advancing his

profession and eventually leading

many organizations. He served as

President of the Dorymans

Association for three years; President

of the CSLSA for ten years; Past

President/Advisor of the CSLSA for

six years; and Treasurer of the

CSLSA for six years.

“Many hard working, tal-

ented visionaries preceded my

generation and provided a

career that is the best job in

the world, and they pay us for

it,” Moore explained about his

passion for lifesaving. “I have

worked with true profession-

als throughout my career. We

have saved many lives and

millions of dollars of property since

the beginning of lifesaving in

Southern California. You are now

tasked with carrying the baton and

passing a better lifeguard service to

future generations.

The public deserves

no less than the

best lifeguard serv-

ice in the world and

I am proud to be a

small part of it,”

Moore wrote in a

farewell letter to his

colleges.

Although Bob

and Sandy never

had children, Bob

channeled his energy into personal

growth. He earned a Masters of

Public Administration degree in 1986

and served as President of the Pi

Alpha Alpha, a Public Administration

Honor Society for three years. Bob

dedicated himself to advancing his

profession by serving on the USLA

Board of Directors for thirty-one

years and the CSLSA Executive

Board since 1979, twenty-six years!

“There were some difficult times

during the 1960’s - 70’s,” Moore

reflected on the national organiza-

tion. “All of the hard work to create

the organization was about to start

over. In 1979 we voted to change the

name to the United States Lifesaving

Association, and created a region

called the Western United States

Lifesaving Association. I was select-

ed as USLA Coach in 1979 in prepa-

ration for a tour to South Africa in

1980. I was selected as USLA Coach

again for the 1981 Australian Team

competition. I was elected to the

WUSLA Executive Board again in

1981 and the region was spanked

hard at the Florida USLA meeting by

the rest of the country. We (WUSLA)

had taken it for granted that we

would continue to hold all of the


from page 7

“I was the USLACompetition Chairman

and we spent threesolid days trying to establish the

competition rules thatare now the basis ofwhat we do today.”

USLA Executive Board

positions with the excep-

tion of Joe Pecoraro from

Chicago who was the

USLA Advisor when

Sheridan Byerly resigned

from the Past President

position to allow Joe to

serve on the Executive

Board. Dick Miller was the

only WUSLA representa-

tive to be elected and

Byron Ware continued as the

Executive Director. I was the USLA

Competition Chairman and we spent

three solid days trying to establish

the competition rules that are now

the basis of what we do today.”

Bob’s love for competition and

teaching would later benefit those in

the international community. He was

recognized and certified as an

International Training Officer in

World Lifesaving and was one of the

few international instructors partici-

pating in the training school held in

South Africa. Bob was a Lifeguard

Training Academy Instructor for five

years. He has been a delegate, pre-

senter, lecturer, moderator, and par-

ticipant representing the United

States at World Lifesaving meetings

in South Africa, Hawaii, California,

Canada, Republic of China, Australia,

and Germany. He has been pub-

lished internationally regarding top-

ics of Triathlon Lifeguarding, Swim

Standards, Beach Erosion,

Professional Lifeguarding, and Team

Organization.

Earning his second Associated

Arts degree in Supervision in 1980,

Bob was promoted to the rank of

Lieutenant in 1981, and later, transi-

tioned to the rank of Captain. In

2000, he was promoted to the rank

of Section Chief and assigned to the

Lifeguard Training Center. His train-

ing section responsibilities included

Community Services, Youth

Programs, Lifeguard Training, Public

Information, Exams, College

Affiliation, Lifeguard Training

Academy, and Lifeguard Graduation.

As with many of his colleges, Bob

has saved many lives and much

property over his 38 seasons as a LA

County lifeguard. More importantly,

Bob would tell you that his great-

est achievement is that NO ONE

drowned in his water!

Although Bob would deny that

he is a politician and that he hates

politics, he is a seasoned diplomat

who is respected for his honesty

and integrity. Bob served as the

CSLSA president for 10 years and

often lobbied for causes directed

by his membership. On the job,

Bob represented his department

on many occasions. Most

recently, he worked on

the Hermosa Beach Phase

III committee where a

partnership was estab-

lished with Hermosa

Beach to construct a

three-story, multi-million

dollar Lifeguard

Headquarters currently

under construction. A

confident and articulate

public speaker, Bob has delivered

many public education/safety pre-

sentations over his career in an effort

to prevent drowning and educate the

public on beach and ocean condi-

tions. He has participated in the LA

County Fair promoting the Fire Dept.

and lifesaving to thousands of visi-

tors.

Using his teaching credential,

Bob created the first LA County

Lifeguard Division EMT sponsored

re-certification program which is

highly recognized. Bob has been the

Incident Commander and a partici-

pant involved in many major inci-

dents including rescue, recovery,


to page 34...


On August 21, 2004 we hadjust put zone 3 on red lightwhich means we have a badlightning storm approaching andwe must clear all bathers fromthe water and the waters edge.After clearing the north side ofzone 3 and going to the southside to assist Capt. Manchesterwith clearing the beach, I noticedtwo catamarans had capsizedapprox. 200 yards offshore. Onthis day that was just outside the surf line.

As the storm approached very fast, I noticed twopeople attempting to upright one of the boats. At thesame time our central dispatch contacted Capt. Gardnerregarding the two catamarans in distress. Capt.Manchester was observing the situation from the beachas well as Capt. Gardner. I noticed that the people werehaving some trouble trying to upright the boats so Iheaded back to Main St. station to hook up the Jet Ski.

While hooking up the Jet Ski, I overheard Capt.Manchester advise they were waving for help. The stormwas approaching very fast and the winds started to pickup out of the south very strong. The lightning beganstriking closer and you could hear the thunder simultane-ously with the lighting. Capt. Gardner asked if someonecould stand by with the Jet Ski and I advised that I wasalready hooked up and standing by.

Chris Nowviskie was walking down from the secondfloor of Main St. Station and asked in an excited (are youcrazy) voice, “Are you going to go?” I responded “yeah”and before I could say anymore Chris was sitting in theback of my truck ready to go with me. We have hadsome great rescues together but have never been insuch an intense lightning storm like this one. We starteddown the beach and by now the lightning was insane, itwas hitting within 100 yards. It was so close you couldfeel it in your skin and just knew that it was just a matterof time.

Capt. Manchester advised “it goes against my betterjudgment to tell you to go out there and don’t go if you

feel uncomfortable” (which inlifeguard code means “go getthose people”). Immediatelyafter that, Deputy Chief Woodenadvised over the radio “Jecoa,your safety is our main concernand if you don’t feel comfortabledon’t go,” (which also means thesame thing as above). Well bynow the rain was hitting the sideof the window and the wind wasin upwards of 50 mph. It was

shaking the unit we were in. Now the lightning was oneafter the other, no breaks, just a constant strike andinsane thunder. I turned to Chris and asked him again,“you ready?” He said, “ whatever you do, I am rightbehind you.” It was a good feeling knowing he had myback; it actually helped me make the decision to go whileknowing my partner was ready to go out in this insanestorm and risk his life along side of me to help thesepeople. I thought okay, this is it, I again said “youready?” Chris responded with “yeah” but in a way Icould hear him saying “don’t ask me again, lets gobefore we change our minds”.

I opened the door to the unit and got hit smack in theface with 50mph+ winds and rain which felt like needles.Chris prepared the Jet Ski for launch as I began to put onmy life vest, helmet, and gloves. The rain was comingdown so hard that the unit and the Jet Ski trailer sank inthe sand immediately. We tried to push the Jet Ski outbut it was too deep. Capt. Gardner pulled up and Chrishooked the Jet Ski to his unit and pulled it out. Beforewe could get the Jet Ski in the water it sank again. Ithought to myself “what are you doing, get this Jet Skiin the water and let’s go!” In that same thought, I said tomyself, “I hope I get to see my family again”. I looked atChris and in a macho man way and said, “well Chris, ifwe die right now, it was an honor to work with you.” Helaughed and so did I, but inside I was serious.

We finally pulled the Jet Ski off the trailer and got itinto the water. The lightning was like none I had ever

E L E C T R I F Y I N G R E S C U E :Daytona Beach Lifeguards Save Boaters in Distress During Storm

USLA AWA R D S T H E D U O “M E D A L O F VA L O R ”Jecoa Simmons, Daytona Beach, FL

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U S L A W O R L D T E A M N E E D S FA S TP O O L S W I M M E R S F O R R E S C U E 2006 ! ! !Rescue 2006 will be held in Lorne, Australia from Feb. 10-22

Team Tryouts for the Pool Events will be held on Aug. 10,2005 at Virginia Beach (the day before the USLA NationalChampionships). Log on to www.usla.org for pool locationand time of the tryouts. Airfare, lodging, uniforms andother costs to Rescue 2006 in Australia will be covered.Ocean competitors and flag/sprinters will be chosen fromthe 2005 USLA National Championships in Virginia Beachor previous international results. Contact Mitch Kahn(Team Coach) at [email protected] or Kevin Sweat (TeamManager) at [email protected]

The World Lifesaving Championships occurs every twoyears and rotate to a different country. The internationalcompetition features 10 pool events and 10 ocean events.Those events are detailed at www.rescue2006.com. Each national teams is comprised of 6 men and 6 womenrepresenting their nation.


N E W FA C I L I T Y M A R K SN E W E R A F O R HBM A R I N E S A F E T Y

April 24th, 2003 marked the end of service forLifeguard Headquarters at 103 Pacific Coast Highway,the third headquarters structure in the City ofHuntington Beach’s history. The 8,000 square foot build-ing, dedicated in 1964, was, at the time, a state of the artlifeguard facility housing a dispatch center, administra-tive offices, first aid and recovery room, locker room,vehicle apparatus room and vehicle shop which waslater converted to a dive locker and work out room forthe guards.

That version of “Lifeguard Headquarters” survived39 years of raging storms, a violent riot and many cost-saving cutbacks. It met its demise based on the need toprovide facilities for more female lifeguard personnel, tomeet requirements for ADA issues and ever increasingdemands on storage for water and beach rescue equip-ment.

In 1964, the building was dedicated in the name ofVincent G. Moorhouse, who led the organization from1957 to 1984.

The new 12,000 square foot building sits at the samelocation at 103 PCH and on virtually the same footprintas the former building. Larger equipment bays, includ-ing specific wet storage area for the services personalwater craft and dive gear, dedicated training rooms, con-ference/training rooms, first aid and recovery room,work out room for the guards, increased locker roomsize, including much needed facilities for the femalestaff, mark some of the improvements. Upstairs, whichcan now be reached by an elevator, houses administra-tive and supervisory offices and the dispatch center,which has been set aside from public access. New and


Bill Richardson, Huntington Beach, CA

improved facilities for the Parking Division are alsoincluded.

Security cameras capable of scanning the beach andparking lot adjacent HQ and computer controlled accessdoors mark some of the many technological enhance-ments serving the new building.

While there are still many bugs to be worked out inthe new structure, the facility is again the state of the artbuilding on the coast for lifeguard service personnel.The staff is ecstatic to be out of the temporary facilitiesconsisting of trailers and storage bins which sat on thebeach in front of the new construction.

Tours of this facility and the new, separate, MarineSafety Educational Center, Home of the HuntingtonBeach Junior Lifeguard Program, are expected to be acouple of the many highlights of the Surf City LifeguardReunion, August 3-5, 2005.


The USLA wants to sincerely thank Life Member Tom Daly and wife Rosemary for their generous donation of $2,000 to our public

education program. Tom andRosemary have been a tremendous

asset over the years in terms of theirloyal support and unselfish dedication

to the advancement of lifesaving The USLA loves you both!


W E T S U I T S

XCELWETSUITS.COM I PH 808.637.6239

THE RESOURCE FOR YOUR WETSUIT AND SUN PROTECTION NEEDS

S A N D Y S E N T I N E L SJimmy Griffin, Buckroe Beach Patrol, Hampton, VA

I have a collection of lifeguardstand models and it’s not my fault.Well not entirely my fault. During avacation trip in Cape May, NJ, I spot-ted a wooden model in a gift shopand thought it would be a good sou-venir until I saw the price. $100. Itwas an excellent scale model rendi-tion of the CMBP stand and my wife,Cheryl, and my sister, Patricia, said“you can do that”.

Challenge me, will you!

I went out to the beach and tookpictures from different angles, camehome and started working. With $20of basswood and paint, and after alot of mistakes that had to beunglued and rebuilt, I created myown version. It wasn’t the exactingscale model like the one in the giftshop, but it wasn’t $100 either.

Next I made models of the cur-rent stand on our beach and the oldstands that we replaced 10 yearsago. When they came out OK, I dis-played them in my office. Our life-guards like them and suggest othersthat I should make.

Rising to their challenge, I keptgoing. I’m rolling now. These arenot scale models I’m makingbecause they have to fit the shelfspace in my office, but they are not bad.

Now I am hooked and thisbecomes both a hobby and anobsession. Local beach patrol standsare next. Then I take a day of mynext vacation and photograph/drawthe five different stands on Martha’sVineyard. The internet provides

websites of beach patrols, some withpictures of their stands. So do travelweb sites for beaches.

Just fueling the obsession.

Now my collection numbers 40different models and is growing asyou read this. In August the localnewspaper, the Daily Press, ran afeature article and picture about thestands. My ego is growing with thecollection.

What I find intriguing about life-guard stands on beaches is thatthere is no standard model.Everyone constructs their own ver-sion and for the most part they aretotally unique. Some are easy tomake and others, like the more sub-stantial ones on the year roundbeaches, are more of a challenge.Then there is Miami Beach whichhas more different style lifeguardstands than almost everyone elsecombined. Although most standsthat are painted are white, there arestands in just about every color andsome very interesting color combina-tions, from art deco to psychedelic.

A challenge to make some ofthem I don’t need but can’t resist.

I have seen stand models thatwere rewards from competitions, likethe one at Fort Lauderdale BeachPatrol headquarters, and VolusiaCounty made some for this year’sNationals. Am I paranoid to thinkthat I am the only one who has a col-lection of them, or is there someoneelse out there who makes and col-lects models of lifeguard stands?Contact me so we


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S A N D Y S E N T I N E L Sfrom page 15

can start a club with anewsletter. While life-guard stands are not cul-turally or even architec-turally significant as anart form, to a beach life-guard they are as nostal-gic an image as the sand,the sun, the surf, and allthe good times they hadguarding at the beach.

I am always lookingfor the next model to add

to my growing collection and if you would like to seeyour stand added you can email pictures (at least 3 dif-ferent angles-more is even better) to me at:aquatics@hampton,gov or snail mail to: Old HamptonCommunity Center, 201 Lincoln Street, Hampton, VA23669. I saw a lifeguard stand from some Greek beachduring the Olympic telecast, but didn’t get a goodenough look to be able to draw it. I watch the news forthe reports on hurricanes hoping to see a lifeguard standI don’t have. I email foreign tourist travel/ visitors officesfor pictures of their beaches. Where is the NationalLifesaving Museum located and what do they have ondisplay?

Like I said, it’s now an obsession. I work daily tokeep it under control.

No need for medication.

Yet.

This is an esoteric and totally cool collection andincludes the following lifeguard stands: Buckroe Beach(new and old); Galveston Beach, TX; Los AngelesCounty, CA; Sarasota Beach, FL; Huntington Park Beach(Newport News, VA); Virginia Beach, VA; Ocean ViewBeach (Norfolk,VA); Sandbridge Beach (VirginiaBeach,VA); Jones Beach (single and tandem), NY;Martha’s Vineyard (State Beach, South Beach, Oak BluffsBeach, Menemsha Beach, and Owen Park Beach) MA;East Hampton Beach, NY; Atlantic City, NJ; Ocean City,NJ; Wildwood, NJ; Cape May, NJ; Ocean City, MD;Rehoboth Beach, DE; North Shore, HI; Chicago, Il; KittyHawk, NC; Hampton Beach, NH; Jax Beach, FL; CostaRica; Wildwood Crest, NJ; Ft. Walton Beach, FL; DeerfieldBeach, FL; Volusia County, FL; Miami Beach (1st St. &77th St.), FL; Wrightsville Beach, NC; Mexico; StoneHarbor, NJ; Avalon, NJ; Long Beach Township, NJ;Horseneck Beach, Westport, MA; and Sandy Hook, NJ.

Do I have a favorite one?

Yes, the next one I see when I visit a new beach, orfind on a website. Maybe I’ll get a copy of the movie“Jaws” and copy the stand on the beach in Amity, I don’thave one from a fictitious beach.

When you come to Nationals in Virginia Beach in2005 plan a side trip to Hampton and check them out.I’m sure to have even more by then, unless I run out ofdisplay space in the office.


A N T I Q U E A Q U AT I C A M E R I C A N AChuck Kroll, Seattle, WA

LESLIE’S WEEKLYillustrated magazine coverdated September 2, 1909drawn by J.D. Gleason

From the ‘ANTIQUE AQUATIC AMERICANA’

collection‘VINTAGE AQUATIC DESIGN’

productionby Chuck Kroll, Seattle WAEmail: [email protected]

Note from Chuck-I have had the pleasure of being anaquatic professional for over 31years. I spent most of 14 summers asan open water lifeguard on LakeWashington. Over the years I havehad the opportunities to attend manylifeguard competitions and meetingsat local, regional, national and eveninternational levels. After participat-ing in the competition, conferenceand World Congress at ‘Rescue `86’in Vancouver B.C., I along with CoyJones (CJ Rescue Backboards) &Mark Jaeger (then head of Seattlebeaches) created the 1st LakeWashington Lifeguard ChallengeCup. (If the Cup goes on the summer,it will be #20!) We also began thePacific NW Chapter of the USLA withmyself elected as the founding presi-dent. In the fall of `88 whilst lookingfor items to illustrate the book I wasgoing to write on ‘Lifeguards inAmerica,’ a lifelong search hasensued. ‘Antique Aquatic Americana’

now represents over 14,000 pieces of related memorabilia including nearly 1200 volumes dating back to an original‘How to Swim’ book by Dr. Benjamin Franklin dated 1781. If you are interested in seeing more Lifeguard imagesincluding magazine covers, 19th & early 20C prints, advertising, postcards and other items… let us know! Cheers,Chuck

P.S. The editor wanted me to say when and where I found this wonderful magazine cover we have chosen to feature.It just so happens that this cover was part of a lot of 17 total cover prints, with this being the newest item in thebatch, obtained just this past March. They all came from a very large vintage print dealer in the South San FranciscoBay area in California.



WATERMAN RACING PADDLE BOARDSEst. 1982

10.6 ft. Lifeguard Sprint Paddle Boards • 12 ft. Stock Class Racing Paddle Boards14 ft. Class Racing Paddle Boards • 16 ft. Class Long Distance Racing Paddle Boards

18 ft. Class Channel Crosser Racing Paddle Boards

www.watermanpaddleboards.comFor Sales Info Contact Kip Kennedy @ (714) 962-6990

21 S T A L L -W O M E N S E T F O R J U LY 27Carl Martinez, U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

Expect plenty of dramatic action when the 21st annu-al All-Women Lifeguard Tournament is held at the SandyHook, New Jersey, field unit of Gateway NationalRecreation Area on Wednesday, July 27. The NationalPark Service hosts this meet the largest of its kind in theworld exclusively for women to showcase the high levelof fitness and skill that women bring to surf-lifeguardwork. The meet provides role models who serve toencourage others to consider this still-nontraditional lineof work for women. It is open to any woman employed

as a lifeguard on a paid or unpaid basis by the organiza-tion she represents, whether at an ocean, bay, lake, river,or pool in the United States of America or abroad. Thereis no entry fee. Events begin at 9 a.m. and will includetests of stamina and skill in such aspects of surf-life-guard work as running, swimming, rowing, and paddlinga surfboard. The meet is open to the public. For moreinformation, call 1–800–678–7946. (Photos by LauraPedrick for National Park Service.)


Front left, Michelle K. Henschel, and front right, Mary E. Behr, both of Town of Hempstead (N.Y.), smile moving a surfboat along with their sister team members at the 20th All-Women. (Photo by Laura Pedrick for the

National Park Service)

From the top, Island Beach(N.J.) Lifeguards Dawn

Homont, Denise L. DeOliveira,and Amanda R. DeStefano work

through the break at the 20thAll-Women at Sandy Hook (N.J.)

in 2004. (Photo by LauraPedrick for the National

Park Service)

As determined and skilled as they come, these lifeguard-com-petitors are seen at the start of the run-swim-run event on the

occasion of platinum (20th) anniversary of the All-Women.(Photo by Laura Pedrick for the National Park Service)

A very exhausted competitor, left, restson a Panama Jack tote issued to

U.S.L.A. members, as Long BeachTownship (N.J.)’s Elizabeth B.

Dreyling, right, sits thinking about thenext event. (Photo by Laura Pedrick

for the National Park Service)

Center left, Patrice Back, of the Cape May Beach Patrol(N.J.), competes against Bethany McCullough, from NagsHead (N.C.), at the highly popular All-Women Lifeguard

Tournament in 2004. (Photo by Laura Pedrick for theNational Park Service)

Front left, Lisa M McCreary, and front right, Laura J.Bull, Dewey Beach (Del.) surf-lifeguards, pass by the

competition during the surf-rescue event at the 20th All-Women in 2004. (Photo by Laura Pedrick for the National

Park Service)

Ocean City Beach Patrol (Md.) was one of the 32 lifeguard services that were represented at the 20th annual

All-Women, held at a National Park Service field unit atSandy Hook (N.J.). (Photo by Laura Pedrick for the

National Park Service)


E L E C T R I F Y I N G R E S C U E

seen before, norhave I ever beenoutside in a stormlike this. The Jet Skistarted immediatelyand Chris jumped inthe stokes basketand there was noturning back now.We were in theworst lightningstorm I could everremember and weare on a Jet Skiheading out into the

water. The rain was so thick I had to cover my eyes withone hand and peak through my fingers. I could see thelightning flash and would think, “Did I just get hit, andam I still here?” I would turn to check on Chris; he hadhis head down and was just hanging on for dear life. Therain was hitting so hard it felt like needles and made itvery hard to see the capsized boat.

I spotted the boat and saw a father and his 14 yearold son; they looked petrified. I asked, “You want to goin?” Of course they did. Why did I ask that, I thought.They yelled back, “YES.” I then asked the father whowas on the other boat. He advised me that his daughterwas alone on the other boat. Chris jumped into the waterand grabbed the young boy and held on to him. I pickedup the father in the basket and circled back around topick up Chris and the boy. The boy climbed up on theback of the Jet Ski and Chris stayed with the father in the basket.

We then headed off towards the other boat which wecouldn’t see anymore due to the heavy rain. I knewwhere it was supposed to be so we started in that direc-tion. The wind chop was 3 feet plus, and with threeadults and a 14 year old boy aboard, the Jet Ski had itswork cut out. But, it ran like a champ! We got hit by onechop that just about washed me off the Jet Ski and I hadto make sure we didn’t lose any one. If we would have,there was no way to see a person in this rain and wind.Everyone was still there and hanging on tight. I toldthem to “put your heads down and pray that we make it

out of this one.” It’s a funny thing when lightning is strik-ing so close; you flinch and duck, but does that really help?

Anyway, I finally spotted the other boat which haddrifted approx. 1 mile away from the starting point to allof this (that’s how strong the winds were). As Iapproached, I thought that his daughter had either start-ed to swim in or was knocked off by the waves. As wecircled around, I saw this little 12 year old girl graspingon to the boat for her life. She was trying to call for helpon a cell phone she had stored in the dry box. Shelooked up and saw us with her great big eyes with thelook of total despair. I told her to climb in and make itquick. She jumped from the boat and Chris grabbed herand pulled her into the basket. Now the Jet Ski had threeadults and two regular sized kids, and we were finallyheading for shore.

The wind and chop were too strong. I thought thatwith all these people onboard, how could we get back toour original starting point? I grabbed my radio and toldthe rescue units on shore that “we are coming to thebeach at the clock tower, I say again we are coming tothe beach at the clock tower with three victims andeveryone is okay.” We took some good hits from the sidechop and almost rolled it once or twice, but we finallybegan to make progress towards shore. I thought, okay,we have everyone please don’t let us get hit now, just acouple more minutes and we will be on shore.

I noticed the blue lights from all the units coming toour location. Once we hit the beach, we ran for shelter inthe food wagon which was the closest thing we couldfind. I advised again that everyone was okay. Capt.Manchester and Capt. Gardner arrived immediately tocheck on us. The young girl began to cry and the fatherwas just hanging on to his kids with the most intensegrasp. His eyes welled up with tears. It was a goodmoment; we made it, we actually made it! The victimswere taken back to Main St. Station and were standingby for the mother and wife to arrive. They were givensome lifeguard shirts and a tour of our station.

We returned to the station as well and received greatthanks and hugs from them all. The mother arrived andit was a very emotional moment and she also began to

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L O C A L 10 . C O M - Lifeguards Say They’re Getting Burned By StateG U A R D S WA N T T O B E R E C L A S S I F I E D A S H I G H -R I S K E M P L O Y E E SReprinted with permission from Local10.com

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Florida’s ocean life-guards say they’re getting burned — not by the sun, butby the state of Florida. Lifeguards want lawmakers togive them the same retirement benefits as police andfirefighters.

Bill Evans has been guarding the shores of SouthFlorida for 19 years. If he were a police officer or fire-fighter, he’d be nine months away from retirement, buthe’ll have to work another 11 years before he can comedown from the tower.

“If I were to go that route and stay a tower guard andretire, I would be the very first one from our organizationto do that,” Evans said.

The United States Lifesaving Association says guardshave to work at least 30 years before they can collectretirement benefits because the state doesn’t considerthis a high-risk occupation, even though they’re often thefirst responders to accidents and emergencies.

Evans said, “I can’t tell you how many times I’vestood in puddles of blood treating major first aids with-out protective gear. Every time we make a rescue, a life-guard puts his life and safety at risk.”

The USLA wants the state to give lifeguards the high-risk classification so they can collect retirement benefits

after 20 years, like others in public safety. The physicaldemands of the job make it nearly impossible to spendthree decades guarding the beach. The USLA says betterbenefits would allow cities and counties to attract andkeep qualified lifeguards.

Right now, many leave the beach and join the policeor fire department when they complete their emergencymedical training. “What that’s doing is it’s giving such aturn over in our profession that it is hard to retain thekind of quality, experienced lifeguards a beach needs tokeep its people safe,” Jim McCrady, with the USLA, said.

Florida’s beaches attract millions of people and bil-lions of dollars to the state.

The USLA thinks lawmakers can’t afford to turn totheir backs on the men and women who protect such avaluable resource.

Evans will be 52 years old when he’s finally eligibleto retire. The odds are against him, but he looks forwardto the day when he can go to the beach to relax.

Last year, lawmakers rejected a bill to classify life-guards, court bailiffs and emergency room nurses ashigh-risk employees.

The USLA hopes it will be successful this year mak-ing the request on its own.

USLA PROMOTES NEW BURN MEDICATION DESIGNEDTO RELIEVE PAIN AND AID SKIN HEALING

Breaking news… USLA has teamed with a pharma-ceutical company that has developed an over the counterfirst-aid cream believed to be the most effective treat-ment available with or without a prescription for sun-burns, windburns and tanning bed burns. As a result ofrecent USLA Board of Directors approval, the productwill be marketed as, “Lifeguards Professional StrengthFirst-Aid Cream, Officially Used by USLA.” In addition toburns, it is considered an excellent pain reliever formany other minor skin irritations, like minor cuts andabrasions, dry skin, insect bites and stings, itching,chapped skin, and even waxed skin.

Lifeguards Professional Strength First-Aid Cream,which will be marketed by Florida based OTC Solutions,uses the FDA maximum amount allowed of the topicalanesthetic lidocaine to quickly relieve pain. LifeguardsProfessional Strength First-Aid Cream is also designed tobenefit injured skin by creating a healthy environmentfor new tissue growth. This is done by starting with apurified water base that hydrates the skin and pure aloevera to reduce inflammation. Unlike Lifeguards’ waterbase, many products use petroleum or mineral oil basesthat trap heat and slow down the skin’s natural healingprocess. Lifeguards also uses no known skin irritants,like menthol or alcohol, that can further irritate damagedtissue. Lifeguards Professional Strength First-Aid Creamrepresents an advance that turns the page from old, anti-quated products and their ingredients.

There are currently over 70,000 pharmacies in theU.S., where customers can purchase products to med-icate themselves. Lifeguards Professional Strength First-Aid Cream is a high quality product that will retail inpharmacies for less than $10 a tube. OTC is confidentthat a unique product of this caliber surely will be attrac-tive to retail stores of all sizes.

In addition to helping the injured get quick relief, themarketing of Lifeguards Professional Strength First-AidCream will help USLA deliver our important services inmany ways. When any retail store purchases LifeguardsProfessional Strength First-Aid Cream, a portion of theproceeds of each tube will be given, in the form of adonation, to USLA. These donations will enable USLA tobetter fund our public education programs, specialevents, and other ongoing work. Our logo will be affixedto the product, further demonstrating the authoritativevalue of USLA.

This collaboration comes with opportunities for ourmembers to get involved and to be rewarded. USLA iscomprised of over 12,000 active members. We come incontact every day with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others who can benefit by use ofLifeguards Professional Strength First-Aid Cream. USLAregions, chapters, and members will be provided theopportunity to help sell Lifeguards Professional StrengthFirst-Aid Cream, thus helping support the organizationthat supports lifeguards. Not only will proceeds fromthese sales benefit USLA in the form of donations toUSLA, but as an incentive, TREK Bikes is sponsoring theLifeguards First-Aid Cream Fundraising Program. The topfundraising producer from each of USLA’s nine regionswill win a TREK hybrid bicycle custom-fitted by ZanesCycles and will be shipped directly to the winner’s doorfor free. As John Burke, president of TREK Bikes, said“All of us at TREK Bikes are very excited to support theUSLA. This is a great organization with a long history ofpromoting an active, healthy lifestyle and we’re pleasedthat bicycles can be a part of that.”

Look for Lifeguards Professional Strength First-AidCream at the National Lifeguard Championships thisyear in Virginia Beach, August 11th to 13th. For moreinformation, check advertising right here in ALM andcheck with your regional representatives.


ALM Staff Writers

An Important Lifeguard Training Video:

Guarding Against Skin Cancer A Video Guide for Lifeguards

The video shows and explains the types of skincancers, the role of sunlight, how sun screens work,eye protection, how to do a skin self-exam andprotecting the outdoor lifeguard on the job.$49 + $5 S&H

Order From:

Walla Walla LifeguardsP.O. Box 172College Place, WA [email protected]


PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION ESTABLISHED IN USLA

The Pacific Islands Region is nowan official part of USLA. Carved outof a portion of the Southwest Region(CSLSA), this region encompassesthe US Island State and Territories inthe Pacific Ocean, with the notableinclusion of Hawaii, but also

American Samoa, Guam, theNorthern Mariana Islands, theMarshall Islands, and Wake Island. Inaccordance with USLA Bylaws, estab-lishment of this region occurred withthe agreement and recommendationof the Southwest Region (boundariesof which are now redrawn), andapproval of the USLA Board ofDirectors in May 2005.

Ralph S. Goto, Ocean SafetyAdministrator for the City and Countyof Honolulu, expressed his greatappreciation for the vote of confi-dence for lifeguards in the newlyformed region by the Board ofDirectors.

USLA President B. Chris Brewsterstated, “This is a major milestone in

the development of USLA. WhileUSLA had a Hawaii Region in thepast, it was later folded into theSouthwest Region. The interest ofmembers of the area in self-gover-nance and regional leadership isemblematic of a renaissance of pro-

fessionalism in lifesaving that issweeping the United States. USLA,through national leadership, isfomenting these critical changes.”

Hawaiian lifeguards have beenrecognized for many years for theirexpertise in high surf rescue tech-niques and for the development of

the use of personal watercraft for res-cue purposes. For example, therecently adopted USLA Guidelinesfor Use of Personal Water Craft weredeveloped and finalized with criticalinput from members of the HawaiianLifeguard Association, consideringtheir tremendous expertise in use ofPWC for rescue.

While population and tourism onthe other Pacific Islands may bemarkedly below that of Hawaii, USLAreceives occasional requests forassistance from these islands toadvance lifesaving. The focus that aPacific Islands Region will bring islikely to enhance our ability to deliverservice there and to ensure that ade-quate lifesaving is made available.

USLA looks forward to greaterparticipation and leadership from allthe lifesavers of the Pacific IslandsRegion, along with inevitableenhancements to the protection ofthose who use its beaches and waterways.

ALM Staff Writers

“Hawaii and the Pacific Islands need to berepresented at the national level because of our

strategic location in the middle of the PacificOcean, our positive relationships with otherU.S. lifeguard agencies, and the fact that weplay an important role in the international

lifeguard community,” said Goto. “We have alot to contribute as well as to gain by being an

active USLA Region.”

M Y S T O R Y - PA R T 1Barbara Payne, Columbia, MI

This incident occurred about 2 p.m., Wed., March 23,2005, on Miramar Beach in front of Pompano Joe’srestaurant in Walton County. This beach is very nearDestin Beach in Okaloosa County.

I took my family to the Destin area during springbreak to take a break from the Missouri winter. In addi-tion to me and my two daughters (Kelsey, 15, and Taylor,12), I brought my two nieces and nephew, who aretriplets (Allison, Madison and Jack, age 11). Their fatherwas having major heart surgery on the East Coast thatweek and I offered to bring them with us as a favor tomy sister, promising her I would especially watch overAllison who has epilepsy.

After a day of storms, it was the perfect sunny day tobe on the beach. Or so we thought.

I watched as Taylor, Jack and Allison negotiated thewaves. Kelsey had been in the beach earlier that day butwas soaking up the sun. Madison stayed near the shore-line, finding the water too cold for her liking.

I kept a close eye on the kids, especially because ofAllison’s epilepsy. They were fine one minute, but thenext they were out a considerable distance from theshore, and Jack had become separated from the girls. Iwas upset with them for going out so far and not stayingtogether. I began shouting for them to come in closer.

What I didn’t realize at the time was they couldn’t. A teenage boy standing nearby heard me calling to

Jack and offered to go get him. His older brother fol-lowed him into the water thinking he was just going infor a swim.

I learned later the young man had been keeping aneye on Jack and the girls, not sure if they were in trou-ble.

At the exact moment both boys dove into the water, Iheard Taylor and Allison screaming, “Help us. Someoneplease help us.” Both girls are strong swimmers so Icouldn’t figure out what was happening. Was it a shark? Iwould find out later it was something much more deadly.A rip current.

I did what any parent would do. I went in after thechildren.

I, too, am a strong swimmer (I was a lifeguard in col-lege). I managed to swim out to them fairly quickly and

grabbed Allison while trying to keep Taylor next to me.That’s when I realized what they were up against. Nomatter what we did, the shoreline did not grow closer, itreceded. With each wave, it pulled us farther and fartherout. This wasn’t like being caught in a wave that turnsyou head over heels and spits you out on shore. No, thiswas more like something continuously shoving you back

We could not touch the ocean floor and the powerfulwaves kept crashing over us, giving us little time to catchour breath. I really could only help Allison because I washaving enough trouble keeping myself above water.Thankfully, Taylor was managing to stay up on her own.Between the crashing waves, I saw the young man hadreached Jack and was taking him into shore.

“One safe. Two more to go,” I thought.Taylor, Allison and I kept fighting the waves, trying to

get closer to the shore. I never heard the sirens of thefire engine or the ambulance as they made their way tothe beach.

I never saw the rescue team enter the water. I wascompletely consumed by one thing and one thing only—keeping Allison above water and staying close enough toTaylor to grab her if I needed to.

I was so focused on fighting the powerful waves thatI didn’t even see the rescue worker with a buoy until hewas right in front of me. He reached Taylor first andasked her if she was okay. “Yes, I’m okay,” she said. Heasked me if I was okay, and I told him, “Yes, I’m fine, butplease help Allison.” The funny thing is, at that moment,I was fine. I still had energy. But things deteriorated forme in a matter of seconds. Not long after I handedAllison to the rescue worker, I found my arms growingheavy. I was getting very, very tired.

Taylor became my coach and my cheerleader. It was-n’t lost on me that I went into the water to save mydaughter and she was now trying to save me. Shegrabbed my hand and said, “Come on Mom, you can doit,” pleading with her eyes for me not to give up. “Comeon Mom, keep swimming.” She never left my side.When a wave would break our grip, somehow she foundmy hand again. “You can do it, Mom.”

At some point I became aware of another rescueworker coming toward us, this time with a surf board. He


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M Y S T O R Yfrom page 31

finally reached us and asked Taylor if she needed help.She said she was fine and then he asked me the samequestion. I wanted to be able to get in on my own but Iknew I couldn’t. “Yes, I need help,” I admitted. I threwmyself over the surf board. It wasn’t until then that I real-ized how truly exhausted I had become. I barely hadenough energy to pull myself up on the surf board.

Taylor, knowing I was safe, began swimming againfor shore, somehow finding herself free from the grip ofthe rip current. She was looking for Jack, unaware thathe had already been rescued. When she didn’t see him inthe water, she began screaming his name over and overagain in pure panic, “Jaacckk! Jaacckk!” She was terri-fied he had drowned. Finally, she heard me and the res-cue worker screaming at her over the waves telling herthat Jack was on shore. Only then did she take herself in,after she knew we were all safe.

The rescue worker slowly brought me in. It tooksome time because I was exhausted and of little help tohim. And we were still fighting the rip current. Once onshore, I became aware that the two young men were stillin the water. Apparently, after they rescued Jack, theywent back into the water to help the three of us. But therip current was so powerful they had been taken out farpast us, which is why I wasn’t even aware they were stillin the water.

Unlike the stories you occasionally hear about timestanding still in this type of situation, that didn’t happento me. In fact, I lost any concept of time altogether. If youasked me how long we were in the water, I would havetold you maybe five minutes. But I have been told it wasat least 15 minutes. We were lucky we stayed afloat aslong as we did. Many rip current drownings occur in lessthan five minutes depending on the strength of the ripand the swimming ability of the individuals in the water.

The rescue workers finally reached the young menand brought them in, too, to the loud applause of thehundreds of beachgoers who were standing on thebeach watching as our drama unfolded.

Immediately, the rescue workers checked each of ourlungs. The young man who saved Jack was in troubleand was given oxygen. He quickly was carried up thedune to the waiting ambulance. Allison’s lungs were ini-tially clear but she was coughing up water. To be on the

safe side, she was carried to the ambulance, too. Offthey went, while the rest of us stood in disbelief andshock at the turn of events.

We walked the short distance to our condo and drovedirectly to the emergency room in our wet bathing suits.Allison received a chest X-ray and had blood drawn tocheck her electrolytes. Everything checked out fine, butin the meantime I learned the young man would have tobe flown to the Fort Walton Medical Center, which has aLevel One Trauma Center.

Jack wanted desperately to thank him for rescuinghim. He saw the boy’s mother in the waiting room andhe took the initiative to ask her, “Can I see your son totell him thank you?” The mother took Jack into her son’sroom. “Blake, this is the young boy you saved. He wantsto tell you thanks,” she said. Jack did just that and thenlater watched as Blake was transported into the waitinghelicopter. “He doesn’t look good, Aunt Barb,” Jack said.“His lips were kinda blue.”

Before Allison was released, one of the rescue work-ers from the sheriff’s department who saved us came tothe hospital. He told me that two years ago, eight peoplelost their lives in rip currents in the Florida Panhandle ina single day. Yes, eight people died on June 8, 2003. It’snow referred to as “Black Sunday.” (Between March andJuly that year, 18 people drowned in rip currents in theFlorida Panhandle.)

He went on to say that they had two other rip currentrescues earlier that morning not too far from where wewere on the beach. Because of that, some of the rescueworkers just happened to be having lunch at the restau-rant in front of where our incident occurred. “Had we notbeen in the area, it probably would have been another 20to 30 minutes before we would have reached you,” hesaid.

He went on to say that it takes that long to maneuverthe beach patrol buggy through all the people on thebeach and they could have been anywhere because theypatrol 26 miles of beach. He added that it takes time toput on the gear and then more time to physically reachthe victims because typically they are a long way out.

“If we had not been right there, right in front of you, Ibelieve your outcome would have been very different. Idon’t think any of you would have survived had it taken


us another 20 or 30 minutes to reach you,” he said.He asked me, “Didn’t you see the red flag?” I said,

“What red flag?” He said, “There were red flags up anddown the beach indicating the water was hazardous.” Inever saw a red flag.

I spoke with Blake’s mother that night by phone. Thedoctor said he was going to be fine but he was beingkept overnight for observation. We all prayed for hisquick recovery.

I waited until I was alone that evening to cry, sobactually. To allow myself to ask “what if” questions. Toabsorb the gruesome reality that we could have alldrowned out there. To accept that my daughter, Kelsey,could have lost me, her mother, and her only sister. Thatmy sister, Linda, and her husband, Marty, could have lost

two of their three children. Every child is precious to besure. But these triplets are truly special. In 1993, Lindaand I were the first people in the country to attemptsimultaneous in vitro fertilization. We were lucky. Weboth got pregnant. I was a surrogate for Allison andLinda carried Jack and Madison.

The next day I began asking myself some hard ques-tions. How could I have allowed this to happen? Whydidn’t I know the water was dangerous? If eight peopledied two years ago, then clearly the community knowsabout the danger of rip currents and drownings. What isbeing done to protect the tourists who aren’t familiarwith the area? I made a commitment to research this assoon as I got back home. As soon as I stopped shaking.


E L E C T R I F Y I N G R E S C U Efrom page 27

hug us and thank us repeatedly. It was then that themother told us when her daughter was on the phone;she had called her mom and told her of the situation.She had said, “Mom, we have flipped our boats! I can’tsee Dad or Justin. I love you Mom.” Those words justabout made everyone break down. No time for thatthough, we received another call that there was a possi-bility that someone else was in trouble. Then, Chris and Isaid goodbye and headed off to look for other victims.

We launched the Jet Ski and began looking in thearea. We noticed a sail boat upright approx. _ miles offshore; we responded to it and upon approaching it wenoticed that no one was on it. It was just tacking away ata very good clip. We received confirmation that the othervictim had been located and was okay. We got along sideof the “ghost” catamaran. Chris had to jump from theJet Ski to the boat and grab a line that was dragging. Itwas very eerie out there with no one around. The boatwas just sailing away in the high winds. Chris got therope on the first try and pulled himself up to take controlof the boat. We tied off and towed the boat back to shorewhere we secured it. We then turned around and wentback out to retrieve the other boat which was still cap-sized and damaged pretty bad. We tied off and towed it

in to shore aswell.

Finally, itwas over. Wehad all thevictims andall the cata-marans onshore andeveryone wasokay. Thefamily met usdown by the boats and again began to hug us and thankus repeatedly. If you are in this line of work, you knowthat all the money in the world could not replace thefeeling you get when you return a loved one back toanother. No matter how dangerous or how simple, Iwould do this for free. That’s the kind of feeling you getfrom this type of rescue. And for the record, I couldn’thave and probably wouldn’t have made this rescue with-out my partner Chris by my side. A special thank yougoes to him and everyone involved. In the grand schemeof things, “it was just another day at the beach”.


both of individuals and property over his long career.

Working as the muscle in many projects in LA

County and in lifesaving associations, Bob is typically

the man behind the scene, getting the job done. He has

hosted, planned, managed, and represented many sig-

nificant events such as memorial services, retirements,

cooperative training, drill planning, regional meetings,

networking, national and international meetings, politi-

cal functions, local, regional, and national competitions,

and international and educational exchanges. His suc-

cess can be attributed to his expertise and experience in

competitions, coaching, refereeing, regional, national,

and international association involvement, honor society

background, and years of public service.

“It has not been a smooth journey, but I would not

change a thing (well maybe a couple of things). I have

learned that no one can do it alone,” Moore explained

looking back over the years. “It takes a team effort and

support from your significant other. I have been fortu-

BOB MOORE RETIRESfrom page 9

nate to be surrounded by great individuals during my

involvement in all four organizations (local, regional,

national, and world). It has been an honor to serve with,

for, the best professionals on the planet. Our member-

ship’s service to the public is second to none.”

Bob’s passion and success for advancing the lifesav-

ing profession was honored with the CSLSA’s and

USLA’s highest honor of Life Member in both organiza-

tions.

“I will continue to use my ‘experience’ to advise the

CSLSA Executive Board to the best of my ability and for

the betterment of lifesaving as I begin a new chapter in

my life. I will also continue to speak from the heart

because I hate politics! It has been an honor to serve

and I enjoyed and look forward to your fellowship,”

Moore wrote in his recent CSLSA Advior’s Report.

Bob retired on March 31, 2005, with honor and

distinction from the profession of lifesaving. May his

love and passion for the lifesaving profession be an

inspiration for others to follow. In addition to celebrating

his retirement, Bob and Sandy will be celebrating their

35th Wedding Anniversary this year. On behalf of his

friends, colleges, and lifeguard membership, we wish

you both all the best in the years ahead!

“It has not been a smooth journey,

but I would not change a thing…”

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summer 2005 - cdn.ymaws.com · can now find archival documents covering the first years of usla,...

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