While lifeguard stands at Wrightsville Beach will remain fully staffed throughout Labor Day, the crew will be losing several of its guards over the next few weeks as they return to college. Ahead of the pending departures, Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue (WBOR) recognized three of the 2016 season’s lifeguards for their outstanding performances throughout the summer.
Second-year lifeguard Tyler George earned WBOR’s award for Lifeguard of the Year, while Rett Nabell was named Rookie of the Year and Shaun “Blue” Bluethenthal received the Storm Warrior Award.
With many outstanding candidates, WBOR Capt. Jeremy Owens said making the selections is always difficult each year, especially for Lifeguard of the Year.
“It goes to the lifeguard that stands out and puts in the extra time,” Owens said. “We’re looking for the lifeguards that take ownership of the program.”
This year, George assumed the role of a supervisor. The responsibilities of his assignment resonated when he was required to cover a busy day on the north end of the beach strand when several guards were rotating to assignments on the south end.
“It all of a sudden hit me. Wow, I’m in charge,” said George, whose responsibilities included monitoring the beach on one of the four-wheel ATVs that let lifeguards cover areas quickly. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of responsibility.”
But George came into this season’s lifeguarding duties more prepared. The University of North Carolina junior put in the 280 hours of work to earn his EMT certification last year. The pre-med student said he is working toward a major in public health and working as a lifeguard helped give him opportunities to use the first-responder skills he’s learning.
“It gave me the opportunity to stay fit while also getting experience with patient contact,” George said of his summer lifeguarding experience.
Nabell’s first summer as a lifeguard ended with him taking the Rookie of the Year award. While Nabell had past lifeguarding experience at pools, it was his first summer as a member of an ocean rescue team.
Nabell faced a challenging rescue this year when he responded to reports of a missing female swimmer in the Masonboro Inlet at the island’s south end.
“The tide sucks pretty hard there and she was last seen swimming about halfway across,” Nabell said.
Grabbing a rescue board, Nabell paddled across the inlet to Masonboro Island, where he found the woman on the rocks of the jetty, battered but OK. He helped her off the rocks on the board and the ocean rescue Jet Ski helped get the two back to Wrightsville Beach, Nabell said.
“I was really excited to make that rescue,” said Nabell, noting that his experience at the pool offered few such opportunities.
Nabell himself will be pursuing new opportunities soon. The Wilmington native graduated from East Carolina University in May on an academic scholarship and will be applying to dental schools, where he is considering Medical University of South Carolina and ECU, among others.
WBOR also honors the lifeguard who showed the most perseverance through difficult circumstances with the Storm Warrior Award, which embodies the “spirit of the lifeguards who are no longer with us,” Owens said.
Bluethenthal, last season’s Rookie of the Year, was given the Storm Warrior Award for the dedication and perseverance he showed through a family illness this summer, Owens said.
Bluethenthal, a former U.S. Marine who has also worked as a commercial diver, is attending Cornell University.
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