Ocean City Beach Patrol Prepares for Memorial Day Weekend

Thousands of people are coming to Ocean City for Memorial Day weekend. And for beach patrol it means preparing for rescues in any scenario.

Thirty two lifeguards and five surf beach facilitators, who keep surfers and swimmers separate, were training to learn how to get someone out of the surf and stabilize someone who may have a spinal injury.

Often when swimmers enter the water without lifeguards on duty or getting caught in rough conditions. Drownings can happen even without an injury.

Beach Patrol says to swim parallel to the shoreline until the water is no longer pushing you out.

“One thing you’ve got to be aware of is the ocean is not a pool,” says Lt. Ward Kovacs of
OC Beach Patrol, “Some people will enter the ocean as non-swimmers with no intention of becoming a swimmer they just want to be a wadder.”