California man dies on shores of Dewey Beach

Dewey Beach Patrol lifeguard Chris Conaway knew there was a problem as soon as he and a fellow guard came up on an unconscious man lying in the surfline the evening of June 27.

“It was the worst I’ve ever responded to,” said Conaway, a veteran of six years.

A 50-year-old man from California was found unresponsive on the beach near Chesapeake Street around 6:50 p.m., said Dewey Beach Police Sgt. Cliff Dempsey in a June 28 press release.

Dempsey said the man was taken to Beebe Healthcare in Lewes where he was pronounced dead.

Dewey Beach Patrol Capt. Todd Fritchman said there were two lifeguards on duty – one running a four-wheeler on dog patrol and the other in the lifesaving station on Dagsworthy Avenue – when a distress call came through.

Conaway wasn’t one of the two guards officially on duty. He was upstairs in the lifesaving station working out.

Conaway said as soon as the call came through on the radio, the guards jumped up, hopped on the four-wheeler and scooted down to the beach, said Conaway.

Lifeguards leave their stands on the beach at 5 p.m. daily, but the guards remain on duty until 8 p.m. to respond to emergencies.

Fritchman said the beach was evacuated and shut down at 4:45 p.m., June 27, because of high surf conditions and lightning. Dempsey confirmed police were notified of the closure.

There had been no swimming all day because of 20- to 30-mph winds from a southeasterly storm, said Fritchman. People were only going ankle deep, he said.

Lifeguard stands were placed at the entrance of each dune crossing to indicate the beach was closed, said Fritchman.

“We took every precaution we could take, foreseeing that something like this could happen,” said Fritchman.

In an interview June 29, Fritchman said there was about a 10-minute window where there was no one on the beach because of an electrical storm. He said in the case of lightning, the patrol’s first order of duty is to get everyone off the beach; the second is to get themselves out of harm's way.

“The lifeguard on duty did exactly what he was supposed to do,” said Fritchman.

Fritchman said the victim was unresponsive and had no pulse when the lifeguards arrived on the scene. He said they immediately began emergency services and called for advanced life support.

Fritchman said Conaway is open water rescue certified and nationally certified in a number of emergency medical techniques.

Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company and rescue crews arrived moments after the call for help, and the man was removed from the beach.

Dewey Beach Police Sgt. Cliff Dempsey said June 28 the man was pronounced dead after being transported to Beebe Healthcare in Lewes.

Dempsey said the Delaware Medical Examiner’s Office has been contacted and is continuing the investigation. The cause of death has not been determined but it is believed to be surf-related trauma, he said.

As of June 29, the cause of death and identity of the man have not been released.