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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

PHOTOS: Wrightsville Beach lifeguard camp gets kids ready for rescues

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Photos and Story by Kennedy Meehan
Intern

Wrightsville Beach’s Ocean Rescue and Parks and Recreation’s third annual Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard Program exposes and teaches the local youth lifesaving skills, and has added not only a new partner to the program, but also a significant amount of new campers.

Camp coordinators Lindsey Gerkens and Jeremy Owens, along with ten instructors, are running two sessions of the Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard Program from June 26 to June 30 on access 36, next to the Oceanic Restaurant.

Campers, ranging from nine to seventeen years old, learn lifesaving skills such as water rescues, buoy rescues, paddle board rescues and common beach operations. In its third year, the Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard Program is growing fast, now enrolling up to 50 campers, said Lindsey Gerkens.

Erin Fitzpatrick, a third year camper, said that she loves the interaction and learning experiences on how to do lifesaving techniques such as CPR and rescuing. Her favorite drill involves working together with the lifeguards to help save a passed out victim.

Unlike Fitzpatrick, Sarah Parker Harris is a first year camper and says that the camp is everything and more than what she had expected.

“I love that we have the opportunity to know what to do in certain situations in the water, and the instructors make it really fun. We play a lot of games and help each other out in all the drills,” Harris said. “I love that it’s not too serious.”

Both campers look forward to learning new skills, but most importantly getting to ride the jet ski’s at the end of the week.

Not only do the campers learn how to save lives using CPR and rescuing techniques, but also learn the ins and outs of water and sun safety. As a part of this year’s third annual Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard Program, non-profit organization Block the Blade has paired with WBOR and the parks and recreation department in efforts to educate their campers on skin cancer awareness.

“Our new partnership with Block the Blade has been awesome, not only with educating our campers about skin cancer awareness, but also by donating hats and sun screen, so after they learn about it, they can actually apply it,” Lindsey Gerkens said.

“It’s really important for these Wrightsville locals to learn about ocean safety, such as safely getting out of a rip current,” Gerkens said. “But my main goal is that every camper leaves with a new appreciation for the ocean and beach.”

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