BETHANY BEACH, Del. - Lifeguards in Sussex County are taking new steps to protect their seats.
The Bethany Beach Patrol is securing lifeguard stands with a chain and lock at the top of the beach each night. While guards traditionally drag the stands to the dunes after their shift, the captain said the beach patrol started locking up in July.
"We wanted to do something to not only reduce risk at night with these lifeguard stands but also protect our property," said captain Joe Donnelly.
The chain is connected to a wooden pole driven into the sand. By placing the stands on their side, they are less likely to be knocked over or damaged, Donnelly said.
"They lock up the stands with a marine type of lock and they seem to be secure and safe through the evening," Donnelly said.
Bethany, unlike neighboring towns, has not had a problem with vandalism. The stands are most vulnerable at night when lifeguards are off duty.
In Rehoboth Beach, vandals have damaged four stands this summer and a fifth is still missing, said public works director Mel Craig. The city constructed ten backup stands for the summer and nearly half are already in use.
"I just wish people would have more respect for private property," said Craig. "I guess it's fun and games for some but not for us."
The stands can weigh up to 300 pounds; values vary but generally range between $1,000 and $1,500 per stand.
A group of men carried a lifeguard stand nearly two blocks and left it in the middle of Coastal Highway in Ocean City in July; two were eventually arrested. Beach patrol captain Butch Arbin said nearly four-dozen stands were vandalized so far this summer, about the same as last year. Arbin said the vandalism ranges from broken legs to buried stands to people defecating on stands. Some were even dragged into the ocean.
While Rehoboth and Ocean City have considered locking up the stands as well, both communities seem unlikely to move in that direction. Craig said the poles needed for the system could hinder Rehoboth's ability to clean the beach. Arbin said Ocean City wants the flexibility to move guards and dragging the stands across the town's wide beach could be physically taxing.
Lifeguards in Ocean City said a group of men carried this stand at least two blocks and left it in the middle of Coastal Highway in July. (Photo: OCPB)
