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The Dewey Beach Patrol welcomed scouts from Wheaton, Md. Troop 1083 Saturday, July 26, for its seventh annual Boy Scout Beach Safety Program.
Susan and Carl Johnson, whose son, Michael, drowned Aug. 23, 1998, at the age of 24, sponsor the program. The Johnsons met Peter Hartsock, a board member of the U.S. Lifesaving Association, during congressional hearings held in 2000 regarding the problem of drownings. Out of that meeting the Boy Scout Beach Safety Program was born.
“The Johnsons have saved lives,” said Hartsock, a former Rehoboth Beach Patrol lifeguard, who added that he continues to be haunted by the drowning of Michael Johnson. “His death motivated them to work for solutions and, working together, we’re never going to stop.”
Part of Dewey Beach Patrol’s educational outreach effort, the program focuses on developing awareness of how to be healthy and safe in a marine environment, said Capt. Todd Fritchman. “It’s an inquiry-based learning program. First the scouts hear about it, then they see it demonstrated for them and then they do it themselves,” Fritchman said.
Rip currents highlight the list of dangers in a program led by lifeguards Chris Muscara, Joe Barranco, Tanner Allen and Max Coveleski, joined by paramedic Jim May. Other key topics included the need to respect the environment and its wildlife, how to deal with injuries and how to protect one’s own life while helping to save someone else.
The possibility of neck and spinal cord injuries, the threat of paralysis and the care required in any necessary attempt to move an injured person were discussed at length.
“We don’t want to scare you from the water. We want you in the water and we want you to enjoy it while being safe,” said Muscara as he demonstrated a hold used to support a person who could have an injured neck.
Learning combined with great fun as the scouts took to the beach. In a series of simulated rescues, first the lifeguards saved the scouts and then the scouts started saving each other with results that quickly evolved from clumsy to effective.
Carl Johnson said the Dewey Beach Patrol program impressed him. “This is a great way for kids to get an introduction about water safety and the hands-on experience is a real plus,” Johnson said.
The program also received rave reviews from the scouts. “I’d like to be a lifeguard one day and it’s a lot of fun to learn how,” said Noah Reidinger, adding that one of the most important things he learned was how to spot rip currents and what to do if he found himself in one.
His friend, Adam Levengard, also wants to become a lifeguard. “They showed us how to do the right thing and how to save a person in the water,” Adam said. “It was great!”
Opening the program, veteran lifeguard Joe Barranco told the scouts and their families, “If you take one thing away that you can use in the future, we’ll have done a good job today.”
The Dewey Beach Patrol did a good job.
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