Lifeguards urge caution as Dorian approaches

It’s too early to tell how Hurricane Dorian will affect Delaware’s coastline later this week, but Rehoboth and Dewey lifeguard captains are urging caution because it’s the time of year when beach patrol manpower is limited, and rip currents are expected to be strong all week.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather condition report about strong rip currents Sep. 2. Both beach patrol captains expected those currents to last through the weekend.

Dewey Beach Patrol Capt. Todd Fritchman said Sept. 2 his patrol is monitoring the slowly-approaching hurricane. He said emergency personnel from other jurisdictions have begun communicating, but at this point, the zone of impact is still unknown.

Fritchman said his crew is full time through Monday, Sept. 9, but at this point in the season, it’s day-to-day how many lifeguards he actually has available. There’s school, sports, jobs and other commitments, he said. 

Rehoboth Beach Patrol Capt. Kent Buckson said Labor Day is the last day his patrol covers all of Rehoboth Beach. He said starting Tuesday, Sept. 3, lifeguards will be in chairs from the Henlopen Hotel to Hickman Street every day for the coming weeks.

Buckson said Rehoboth is also in a holding pattern until Dorian’s path becomes more clear, but he said he plans on pulling chairs and other equipment off the beach as early as Tuesday.

“We don’t want to be playing catch-up when the storm is actually here,” he said.

Buckson said last week’s strong northeast winds took a lot of sand with it, which has shortened the width of available beach at high tide and made the coastline more vulnerable. He said if Dorian comes close to Delaware at all, there could be dune erosion and dune fence damage.

Rehoboth and Dewey may have limited lifeguard manpower, but state parks don’t have any lifeguards. Last week, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a notice saying lifeguard hours for Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island state parks ended Labor Day.

With manpower limited, Buckson and Fritchman said Rehoboth and Dewey will do what it takes to make sure beaches are safe for visitors.

“That might mean walking or vehicle patrol, but we’ll adapt,” said Fritchman.

According to the National Weather Service, if caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don’t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

Fritchman advised people interested in swimming in the ocean this week to find a lifeguard on duty, check in, observe the rules and listen.

“Even if you’re the greatest swimmer, this is not a good time to be messing around,” he said.

Buckson echoed Fritchman’s warnings. These are the kinds of conditions that can knock a person down and suck them out into the current, he said.

“The size of this storm and its waves are going to be dangerous,” said Buckson.