VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Beachgoers may notice lifeguards are sticking around the Oceanfront a little longer this year. The extended schedule is aimed at preventing the kind of tragedies the community saw last summer.
Lifeguards with the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service will remain on duty through the final weekend in September, covering the busy Neptune Festival. The change doesn’t come with added costs to the city — officials say it’s simply a matter of adjusting schedules.
“Unfortunately, a triple drowning last year on that Saturday, the Saturday after our guards had done their contracted time,” said Tom Gill, chief of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service. “Our goal is by having lifeguards on the stand during the day, having the red flags up … those things might have led to a warning, prevention, that would have kept folks out of the water.”
Regulars at the Oceanfront say they’ve seen how quickly the waves can turn dangerous. “The tide is ripping you sideways while the waves are trying to crash you over,” said beachgoer Shaun Ferrick. “It’s rough — you’re doing all you can to fight it.”
Ferrick said he always sets up near a lifeguard station with his family. “Be prepared for that and have somebody watching you all the time,” he added.
The extension will end after the Neptune Festival, when lifeguards wrap up the season until next summer. Gill says the community should stay cautious even without guards present.
“If people are going out when the lifeguards are not around, don’t overestimate your ability,” Gill said. “If it looks dangerous, it is dangerous.”
Lifeguards say their extra weeks on the stands are meant to give locals and visitors a safer end to the summer — but they’re asking beachgoers to do their part, too.
