Visitors to Lewes Beach will see a familiar site this Memorial Day weekend, but it’s one they were not expecting to see just days ago.

Lewes has hired a new lifeguard captain, and the city will now be able to employ lifeguards after members of the community reached out to City Manager Ann Marie Townshend to help. Leading the charge was North Shores Capt. Kent Buckson, the former longtime Rehoboth Beach Patrol captain, whose passion for water safety fueled his need to assist Lewes in finding guards for its beaches.

During the mayor and city council meeting May 23, Townshend announced the city has hired a full-time swim instructor as the Lewes lifeguard captain, jump-starting recruitment and ensuring experienced leadership at the helm. While they are still vetting applicants to fill the 10 spots needed for a full force, Townshend said, the city will have enough lifeguards to cover the beaches for Memorial Day weekend.

While the name of the new captain has yet to be announced, Townshend said it is not Buckson, as he just wanted to make sure that a local beach was properly protected. Townshend said the name will be released in the next few days.