Lewes lifeguards building off last season’s success

Lewes Beach Patrol is gearing up for an important 2023 summer along Delaware Bay.

Capt. Strohm Edwards enters his second year at the helm with a goal to add a junior lifeguard program and make upgrades to the guard shack. Mayor and city council increased the beach patrol’s budget to add a new chair, increase staff and upgrade safety equipment.

In 2022, the beach patrol responded to 162 medical incidents. A medical incident is when a lifeguard renders aid to someone outside the water, such as burns to feet from hot sand, medical emergencies and the occasional cut foot. Edwards said he would like to see a medic hired to work during lifeguard hours. In the meantime, he is hoping to cross-train with the Lewes Fire Department to improve coordination and communication.

“The bay is a lot of fun, it really is, but there’s a lot of things that can go wrong pretty quickly,” Edwards said.

The beach patrol recorded 57 water rescues in 2022. Edwards said the wind can change quickly on Delaware Bay and that’s when issues arise. 

“The wind direction and kids being on rafts and inner tubes, that’s when our lifeguards have to go retrieve them,” he said. “The wind starts blowing out and kids can’t swim in ... and they’re scared to jump off.”

Lewes guards helped 26 children find their way back to their families last summer.

Edwards has also noticed that operators of paddleboards, personal watercraft and boats are ignoring buoys. 

“They will literally fly by a swimmer, within 25 yards of them, and you know they see [swimmers],” Edwards said.

Parks and Marina Administrator Janet Reeves included additional buoys for Lewes Beach swimming areas in the FY 2024 budget. 

Edwards said he hopes to create a buffer between swimmers and boaters with the new buoys. 

Recruitment

Reeves said the city used an app called Handshake to recruit from all Delaware colleges and universities. She also reached out to high school guidance counselors. 

Recruiting efforts have also included online campaigns and job fairs. The city reimburses guards for their certification course, which can exceed $400. 

Guard shack upgrades are also a selling point. Planned upgrades include a new paint job, kitchenette cabinets, countertops, table and chairs. Additionally, an office area will be built for Edwards to do paperwork, the bathroom will be renovated and there will be all new lockers.

Returning guards will notice a pay bump in accordance with the city’s pay matrix and that their chairs have been replaced by the maintenance department with higher-quality ones thanks to a donation by the Lewes Lions Club.

Edwards is implementing a Rookie of the Week award to honor new guards, and employee recognition celebrations have also been planned.

Junior lifeguard program

Reeves said the city is hoping to implement a junior lifeguard program to help with recruitment and retention. 

Edwards said the programs are beneficial for the patrol and participants. There will be a fee to cover the cost of uniforms, but Edwards said he thinks it's something positive they can provide to the youth of the community. 

“We would get them learning about the beach, learning about lifesaving, and bring up their overall awareness level of the beach and what it takes to be a lifeguard,” Edwards said.

The program would run Monday, Wednesday and Friday beginning an hour before guarding hours, and run participants ages 6-15 through the same type of drills and exercises as the lifeguards.

Patrol hours were previously 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but officials aim to shift the hours to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate later crowds. 

Edwards encourages any former Lewes lifeguards to stop by the guard shack and is hoping to connect the patrol’s history with its present and future.  

Anyone interested in patrolling Lewes Beach this summer should email Reeves at jreeves@ci.lewes.de.us for more information.