Rehoboth Beach Patrol hosted the 44th annual Lifeguard Olympics July 29. A total of 11 teams from Delaware and Maryland battled it out on the beach at Baltimore Avenue, and when the flying sand settled, the Middlesex team took the victory and bragging rights for the 2021 summer.
Events included the landline rescue race, one-mile run, half-mile paddle, half-mile swim, 4-by-200 soft sand sprint relay, run-swim-run, paddleboard rescue race, iron man medley, beach flags and the six-person tug-of-war.
Ocean City Beach Patrol and Middlesex Beach Patrol tied for the championship, so bragging rights were determined by a game of rock, paper, scissors.

Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Rawley Florax, left, and Xander Geiersbach exit the ocean in the paddleboard rescue race. DAN COOK PHOTOS

Middlesex Beach Patrol’s Josh McIntire is cheered on by (l-r) Capt. Justin Voorheis and Hayden Harmon.

North Shore Beach patrol wins the landline. Shown are (l-r) Augie Carlozzi, Pat Matsko, Laurel Carney and Sean Connor.

Dewey Beach Patrol rookie Mikey Frederick, right, squeezes out the lead from Delaware State Parks’ Anthony Hitchcock as they sprint to their teammates in the 4-by-200 soft sand relay.

Sea Colony Beach Patrol’s landline competitors regain their composure after taking a spill at the finish. Shown are (l-r) Marlan McElroy, Drew Meininger, Lexie Santor and Garret Karres.

Middlesex Beach Patrol member Mitch McGee fights off a wave during the iron man contest. He broke two fingers during the competition.

Delaware State Parks’ Ben Sobota, left, and Dewey Beach Patrol’s C.J. Fritchman sprint the first leg of the 4-by-200 soft sand relay.

Dewey Beach patrol’s winning 4-by-200 soft sand sprint relay team are (l-r) Eid Nouhra, C.J. Fritchman, Mikey Frederick and Reed Tanasovich.

Bethany Beach Patrol’s Brendan Keane, right, takes the victory in beach flags over Delaware State Parks’ Connor Staudmyer.

RBP guards (l-r) Dionn Stevenson, Bailey Polecaro and Alicia Lenoir worked the check-in desk before the event.

Working the event for the Rehoboth Beach Patrol are (l-r) Kathryn Paturzo, Anna McDermott, Megan Culbertson, Laura Sarkisian, Madison Mazon and Brooke Baldicci.