REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Now that it is June, beaches like Rehoboth are becoming packed with visitors. Spending time at the beach and going for a swim in the ocean is the perfect way to spend a summer day. But without lifeguards, swimming in the ocean could be more of a safety risk than a fun activity.
Every morning from Memorial Day weekend to mid-September, you will find the Rehoboth Beach Patrol huddling together at 9 a.m. before they start their day.
Although guards do not sit at the stands until 10 a.m., they must arrive an hour early to get a workout in before the day begins.
Every workout is grueling, but Henry Bright, a roving sergeant for the Beach Patrol, says there is a reason for that.
"So we train every day as if the next day it's going to be our worst day so that we're ready to operate," explained Bright.
The guards push each other every day to get stronger and work harder.
"Everyone is expected to be at a certain level physically because the public depends on us, and one weak link can really mean the difference between somebody going home and somebody not," said Bright.
After the morning workout, the guards gather their things and head to their assigned stand for the day to set up. Throughout the day, the guards rotate who sits and who goes and does another workout.
Being a lifeguard is so much more than a job. This group of 50 people is a family who have fun and rely on each other to get through tough times on the job.
"There are people on this patrol that I know are going to be in my wedding, and that's just an incredible privilege to have met those people and to be doing the work that we're doing, helping people and saving lives," said Bright.
Each and every guard on this patrol lives by one important rule:
"Do the work that needs to be done to make sure everyone goes home," explained Bright.
Since 1921, the Rehoboth Beach Patrol has been working hard to keep visitors to the nation’s summer capital safe.