OC Beach Patrol Hosts Rookie Graduation
OCEAN CITY, Md. — The Ocean City Beach Patrol took to the beaches to test and honor their rookies.
Ocean City Beach Patrol lined the inlet, bright and early to challenge their rookies for the last time after an intense 8 days of Surf Rescue Academy. Surf Rescue Technician, Andy Friedman said that rookies must go through 7 different stations to graduate.
“Each of the rookies, go to every station for 15 minutes and, it’s just, some of the things are things they’ve done during Academy. Some of the things are things they haven’t yet done,” said Friedman.
One of the stations interacted with the Coast Guard during an inlet rescue, while another practiced jet-ski operations, and so many more. The training helps build confidence to be the best in keeping the community safe.
Probationary Surf Rescue Technician, Garrett Snyder said, “The stuff I learned in the Marine Corps, it still carries to this day. I got promoted in September of 92, and the first sergeant call me hard charger. You see that? That’s the motto of my race team. Hard charger racing. Never lose that.”
For others, it’s personal, as they grew up right on this shoreline, and are now working right beside people that watched them grow up.
Probationary Surf Rescue Technician, Johnny Sippel said, “We grew up on 141 and to be a guard on 142 right now and, crew chief Jake Foy has been my guard since I was born, pretty much.”
Probationary Surf Rescue Technician, Charlie Sippel said, “Being on the water with him, talking to him, messing with him on his breaks and stuff, so I just kind of grown up around that environment and now being part of it, it’s just really special.”
For the Sippel parents, the pride is evident, as they watch their boys give back to the shore, by standing watch.
John Sippel said, “It’ll be a great experience just dealing with the public and having the responsibility of taking care of others and, being on guard all day and doing a great job for the public.”
Jeniffer Sippel added, “They’ve been raised with these people on the beach. So, it’s just it’s this huge family on our block, so they’re very excited to be up north and just have the experience that they’re having right now.”
