Beach patrols battle each other and ocean

Six-foot swells showed no mercy as lifeguards from the Cape Region came together to compete in the annual Lifeguard Olympics in Rehoboth Beach July 25.

Between the land and ocean competitions, observers could be heard saying "This is nuts," cheering for their favorites or yelling to watch out for a rogue wave. There were a total of 11 events that night where one member from each of the eight patrols competed, unless the event was a relay. The events included the mile run, land line, half-mile swim, paddleboard rescue, run-swim-run, half-mile paddle, 4-by-220 run relay, iron man medley, surf dash relay, beach flags and tug-of-war. Each event was scored based on ranking, with the first-place finisher receiving the most amount of points. Unfortunately, by the end of the night, the iron man relay was canceled due to unsafe weather conditions.

By 10 p.m. the events were over and the scores tallied, leaving the Rehoboth Beach Patrol on top for the second year in a row with 72 points. The Delaware State Beach Patrol took second by six points, followed by Bethany Beach Patrol with 41 points.