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AABL Memorial Committee

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Years ago, as a young lifeguard, I was assigned to the 29th street lifeguard station, where I worked for the better part of the season. It was truly a local beach back then, frequented by African American Galvestonians. That spot on the beach was truly a community center. I knew lots of the regulars and was usually given lunch by someone.

Some days, at the end of my shift, a few of the local guys would sit waiting on a bench and take over as unofficial lifeguards into the evening hours. I’d often check in with them and let them know any issues or people to watch before leaving. Normally, someone would stop by the next morning to let me know how the “evening watch” went. I even met some old timers who had been lifeguards on that same beach decades ago.

I was 18 and living more than thinking, but gradually, the layers of the untold history woven into our beaches, much of it involving African Americans, started to sink in. But it wasn’t until my wife, Dr. Carol Bunch-Davis, took an interest and started doing research on the history of black lifeguards in Galveston, that I realized that the beach I worked during those years had been designated, and segregated, as a beach for black people since the 1920’s.

Today, we’ve pulled together the African American Beach Lifeguard (A.A.B.L.) Memorial Committee that has been working on some really cool stuff, chaired by David Mitchell. The Beach Patrol, NIA Cultural Center, Old Central Cultural Center, Visit Galveston, The Historical Foundation, Galveston Lifeguarding Inc., City of Galveston, and others have been working on a multi-staged project. Phase 1 was submission of an application for an “Undertold Story” state marker on the same spot of the seawall that the “Evening Watch” sat. This just received final approval from the County after being OK’d by the Corp of Engineers, and we plan to install it sometime next year!

Phase two will be a database that profiles African American Lifeguards and black beach history. We’re looking for families and friends who can record stories of these heroes and will seek grant funding to hire a researcher to uncover this rich part of our island’s history.

Phase three will be a large, sculptural monument to these lifeguards on the north side of the seawall. The idea is that there will be a way to point your phone at either project and access the database, and this will be part of a much larger cultural tour of the island.

Galveston Lifeguarding Inc. has pledged $5,000 as a match for the $10,000 total we need to pay for the marker base and honorariums for the 3 artists who will be chosen to develop mockups for the monument.  The community will vote for the final design for the big sculpture. We’re looking for donations to get this first part going.

This group has been wonderful to be part of. It’s a microcosm of good things beginning to happen on the island.

It’s amazing to see what we can do when we work together.

2023 USLA National Results

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The best of the best went head-to-head for 4 days in Virginia Beach last week. The United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships had over 800 Junior Guards, Open Lifeguards, and Age Groupers who battled it out over a long, 4-day competition.

All of the Lifesaving Sport events simulate some facet of open water rescue. Some are directly related like the 400-meter swim, run-swim-run, 2K beach run, rescue board race, and the swim and rescue board rescue. The more grueling ones combine different events, like the American Iron Person, which involves a 300-meter swim, 600-meter rescue board paddle, and 1000-meter row in a 1–2-person surf boat. Same for International Iron Person which substitutes a surf ski (long, skinny, ultra-fast kayak) for the surf boat. Most of the events mirror the international standard, but a couple of races are specific to USA lifesaving history. The surf boat race is a nod to our past since most of us use jet skis these days. Same for the Landline race where a swimmer swims 300 meters out dragging a long line behind them to make contact with a “victim” which two other people drag to shore by pulling the line in with repeated sprints.

Galveston made its mark both with our Junior Lifeguard team and the adult lifeguard teams.

In one long, grueling day our Juniors went at it, and in typical lifeguarding fashion they and their adult counterparts made friends with the competition. They compared notes about beaches, programs, and rescue techniques, and had a great time. Some of our more significant finishes were:

Maddy Scott- 2nd in distance run, 3rd swim rescue, 9th paddle relay, 10th run-swim-run

Zoey Scott- 1st distance run, 7th rescue board, 6th swim rescue, 6th paddle relay, 5th run-swim-run, 3rd iron guard (run-swim-paddle), 6th distance swim

Ryan Pryor- 8th distance run, 7th beach flags, 9th swim rescue, 3rd paddle relay

Houston Pryor- 8th distance run, 4th paddle relay

Caroline Livanec- 8th beach flags, 4th paddle relay

Abby Hart- 4th paddle relay

For the next three days the big guards were up. We ended up with an overall 6th place in the mid-sized teams category, which was impressive with only 8 competitors and most of the points being made in age group events. Jacque Emmert was our standout, raking in points on both age group and open events. Standout performances included:

Mac Livanec- semifinals in open Surf Ski (big deal!)

Jeff Mullins- 4th in American Ironman and 16th in mixed open row

Peter Davis- 2nd American Ironman, 3rd Surfski, semis in open Surfski, 4th Beach Flags, 4th International Ironman, 5th Rescue Board, 6th Run-Swim-Run

Jacque Emmert- 9th open American Ironwoman, 9th open Single Surfboat, 2nd Surf Swim, 2nd Run-Swim-Run, 3rd Rescue Board Race, 5th Surfski, 2nd American Ironwomen, 4th 2k Beach Run, and a GOLD medal in the International Ironwoman

Congrats to our athletes and kudos for all the blood, sweat, and  training that went into preparing. And a special thank you to our guards who stayed home and kept our beaches safe during a busy, busy weekend!

De-stress Training

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The golden orange early morning light slanted across the surface as the bow of the surf ski sliced through glassy, emerald water. The only sounds a mile and a half from shore were from paddles dipping into the water and rhythmic breathing, punctuated by the occasional bird sound. 15 minutes into an hour and a half training session and I was in the zone, when an unexpected wet blowing sound just off to the side startled me. This ended up being one of the best paddles of the summer.

A dolphin had broken the surface off to the right side and as I saw its tail slip beneath the surface, I realized how clear the water was. I was able to track it under the front of the boat and see it moving off to the left, along with several other shapes that were swimming in tandem. Another surfaced, then another, and I realized they were all over. It was a pod of around twenty bottle nosed dolphins. I adjusted course to track with the group and for the next 10 minutes saw them play, come up beside me and look at me with curious, all too human eyes, and jump in the air. Eventually they drifted off and I resumed my course farther offshore.

In what is arguably the busiest beach and hottest season Galveston has seen, the demands on our staff are many. They have risen to the occasion and have done the hard work of keeping people from danger day in and day out. To do this we’ve had to find balance. Physical balance includes daily exercise, staying hydrated/healthy, and being self-aware enough to realize when you shouldn’t push too hard or shouldn’t take that extra shift. But equally important is the need to maintain psychological balance and build things into your routine to counteract the stress that being constantly on the watch for ways to keep people from hurting themselves brings. We’ve tried to build that into our routine as an agency by allowing time for daily training, providing formal leadership/resiliency training, and encouraging social time outside of work. In fact, last Friday our non-profit lifesaving association hosted a very nice dinner and awards banquet for the whole staff with the help of a generous donation from the Sasser family (thank you!). It was really cool to see the crew relaxing with friends and co-workers outside of work. Special congrats to our 2023 Lifeguard of the Year, Josh Schmidt, who was chosen by his peers and whose name is now memorialized on the lifeguard of the year plaque that hangs in our Headquarters!

Back to my personal de-stress routine, once I’d reached a turnaround point about 4 miles offshore, I took a few minutes to swim around in the abnormally crystal-clear water before heading back. On the way I was again startled by a 6-foot Spinner Shark jumping/spinning about 5 feet above the water and reconnected with the big dolphin pod before returning to shore refreshed and ready to start another day on the beach.

Beachfest – Junior Lifeguard Program

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The end of the Junior Lifeguard Program is here and is a big deal for us. Last Thursday the kids went to Matagorda for a full day on that beautiful, deserted beach. Today is “Beachfest”, which is a day of competition where the kids compete in a run, swim, paddle race, run-swim-run, swim rescue, paddle rescue, and beach flags. It’s always a good time and many of the parents come down to cheer, hang out, and enjoy beach BBQ. It’s so cool to see how far the younger kids come in only 6 weeks. I love the 10-11 year old age group paddle race where some of the smaller kids look like they’re paddling boats! The conditions are a little choppy so there will be a bit of a challenge. Its always a good time and I love the part at the end when we spend time story-swapping time under tarps eating great food.

Next Wednesday days the big guards compete in the Gulf Coast Championships of the United States Lifesaving Association in Port Aransas. There are 5 beach lifeguard organizations in the state of Texas and hopefully all will be present. Those who do well will represent “Team Texas” in the National Lifesaving Championships.

This is a four-day event involving both Junior Lifeguard events and Lifeguard events where the best of the best duel it out on the beach. It rotates beaches each year and this year we’ll be at one of my favorite beaches for competition, Virginia Beach. Not only is it a beautiful spot, but the community has done an amazing job of creating an admirable beach product that includes art, performance spaces, and well-maintained amenities. They have a good lifeguard program, police bicycle security program, and do a great job of keeping everything clean and hospitable. Galveston is my favorite beach, but I love visiting other venues to get ideas on how we can be even better.

Another thing we’re excited about is that since the Junior Guard program is over, we start our Community Beach Camps for non-profits that work with kids, prioritizing those that work with at risk youth. These camps are half day camps that are like mini Junior Guard sessions and are taught by our Junior Guard instructors. Kids get to experience a water safety seminar, learn about nutrition, hydration, and sun protection, and have a discussion about what a typical day is like for a lifeguard. Once the classroom portion is finished, they have an introduction to paddle boarding workshop.

Whether we’re talking about competition for young adults, Junior Guarding for teens and “tweens”, community camps for all ages, or our Spring School Water Safety Education Program, hundreds if not thousands of kids and young adults are getting at least some exposure to the beach environment and the values inherent in lifesaving and public safety each season. Our wonderful instructors are great role models, embody these values, and work very hard all season. I’m proud to work with them.

The Galveston Island Beach Patrol

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The Galveston Island Beach Patrol (GIBP) is certified as an “advanced” level agency of the United States Lifesaving Association and is the designated lifeguard service for the city of Galveston. It is a Texas Department of Health certified first response agency employing lifeguards, senior guards, supervisors, peace officers, and dispatchers. The mission of GIBP is to protect the over 7 million people who visit the Galveston beaches each year, respond to aquatic emergencies 24/7/365, educate the public about beach safety, and be a good community partner. GIBP interfaces with other city public safety agencies like Galveston Police, Fire and Emergency Services on a daily basis.

Beach Patrol deploys 24 lifeguard towers staffed by lifeguards who meet and exceed the qualifications established by the United States Lifesaving Association. Galveston’s beaches are challenging to guard. Heavy crowds, rip current generating jetties, and constantly changing conditions keep guards very busy all year.

GIPB is funded solely by hotel occupancy tax (generated by overnight stays in hotels and vacation rentals). Beach Patrol is the designated lifeguard service for the City of Galveston’s 32 miles of beach but uses no taxes from the citizens’ ad valorem tax dollars.

Beach Patrol has called the Stewart Beach Pavilion home for the past 30 years. It has operated from Stewart Beach since the ‘40s. During the summer season, it houses more than 140 lifeguards, 120 junior guards, and 50 volunteers.

Beach Patrol’s junior guard program consists of 120 youth ages 10-15 with an interest in the beach environment. The objectives of the program are centered around values of mental and physical discipline and the respect of themselves, others, authority, and the natural environment. Many of the participants go on to be GIBP lifeguards. In fact, around 40% of the guards from the USA come through the program. The “break even” program is very economical and designed to be accessible to all Galveston’s kids.

Two other community programs under the Beach Patrol net are the Wave Watchers (WW) and the Survivor Support Network (SSN). Wave Watchers provide a way for citizens to join the Beach Patrol team. In partnership with Jesse Tree, GIBP maintains a cadre of volunteers who specialize in mental health, religious support, translation, and logistical support for families of victims of drowning fatality. The program also supports the critical incident stress needs of the Beach Patrol and of other public safety entities in the area.

GIPB partners with organizations like Galveston Marine Response (GMR) and the Galveston County Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT). GMR is multi-agency response group comprised of Galveston Fire Department, Galveston Police Marine Division, Galveston Island Beach Patrol, Jamaica Beach Fire Rescue, Galveston EMS, and the Galveston Sheriff Office Marine Division. The CERT Program educates citizens about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. GIBP also has a formalized partnership with the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office and coordinates daily on hazards including rip currents, lightning, storms, and tidal events.

Stop by and visit your Beach Patrol!

Academy is coming…

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The group of young men and women radiated nervousness as they lined up on the sand. “On your mark, get set, GO!” shouted the instructor as they raced down the beach around the tower and into the water.

I was about half way out to the buoy when a group of good swimmers caught me and basically swam right over me. By the time I got going again a wave smacked me right in the face as I was taking a breath. When I got to the buoy I had to hang on for a few seconds to catch my breath before pushing on.

The year was 1983 and I finished 11th out of 30 in the Beach Patrol tryouts. Fortunately, I’ve come a long way from then, as has the Beach Patrol! There was no formal training and no special first aid course other than what I got when I took the Red Cross pool lifesaving course. I was just given a radio and sent to work.

Saturday, March 11th is the first of three tryouts for the Beach Patrol at 9am at the UTMB pool. If you know anyone that wants to work on the Beach Patrol (and be a hero!) spread the word. The swim qualification to be admitted into the training academy is 500 meters in 10 minutes or less. Details are on our website. Candidates who want to start working right away can go through the first lifeguard academy over spring break. We pay them to attend the school where they are certified in CPR, First Aid, and beach lifeguarding. They also go through training in tourist relations, city codes pertaining to Galveston’s beaches, Gulf Coast ecology, and near shore topography and hydrology. Coupled with all the classroom work is hands on training in how to swim and make rescues in surf, search and recovery, and the basics of lifesaving sport. It’s a busy week and we’ll do two more academies in May so we can work with everyone’s schedule.

In addition to training for new lifeguards, we are starting our annual training session for dispatchers, supervisors, and personal watercraft rescue operations. By the time Memorial Weekend hits we’ll be up to speed. Despite the huge amount of effort all this requires of our permanent staff members there’s a big payoff for both our staff and the public. The inconsistent training that once took a whole summer is taught in a uniform manner. Each employee is taught the same material and instilled with similar core values. Any one of our guards can handle whatever is thrown at them when and if they complete the training.

So for those that would like to try being a beach guard, I hope you’ll give it a shot. I’m so happy I squeaked in all those years ago. For me it was a life changer. Not many people get to go home at the end of the day with the knowledge that they prevented accidents and/or saved someone.

SCENARIOS

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Last Wednesday was rainy and overcast before the front came in. There was some sea fog, but not to the point that it severely limited visibility. Lt. Kirwin and Sgt. Buck slipped down to the water and set a mannequin in the water. Buck donned a wetsuit, booties, and gloves and swam out.

Supervisors Lucero and Knight staged at the entrance to Stewart Beach in a rescue truck. They knew they were going to respond to a scenario but didn’t know what it would be. Then, when everything and everyone was in position, they received the call. The drill was a few people missing in the water, resulting from an accident. They had to race down to the Headquarters, retrieve a jet ski, launch it, and search for the missing swimmers. One of them, played by Buck, was ok with some minor issues. Another was a partially submerged victim that had to be removed from the water, assessed, and ultimately CPR needed to be performed.

This was just one of several scenarios we’ve been running, getting the crew to be razor sharp for the opening of the beach season. Working in pairs or small groups, some staff members participate in scenarios, while others complete work on towers, signs, complete leadership, resiliency, or intercultural competency training in the office, or work patrolling the beaches.

Once the seasonal lifeguards return in March, they too will participate in similar activities, but not to the extent of the full-time staff members. Our full-time staff make up the vast majority of the Supervisors, are all Emergency Medical Technicians and have quite a bit of additional training that our seasonal Lifeguards aren’t required to have, such as Swiftwater Technician certification, National Incident Management System training, Tourism Ambassador certification, and some are Peace Officers. They are also the teachers and instructors for the seasonal staff and teach everything from Red Cross Emergency Response to Personal Rescue Watercraft Operator instruction.

There are benefits to having our year-round crew trained up in time to teach the guards and being ready to respond to a myriad of emergencies. It’s also good to have them be very used to the day-to-day conditions, so when they jump in the cold water to make a rescue they know what to expect and are comfortable in cold water, limited visibility, and big surf. We want to be comfortable and prepared for all kind of conditions so they can focus on problem solving in difficult rescue situations. But it’s also important that they problem solve together.

Modern professional lifesaving has changed significantly in the past few decades. The basic techniques of saving someone are very similar to when lifesaving took off in the early 1900’s as a result of a boom in recreational swimming that resulted from a growth in a leisure class. The big difference is an emphasis on teamwork. What used to be “One beach one lifeguard”, in the immortal words of Leroy Colombo, has now morphed into “We’re only as strong as our weakest link”.

Rescue Theory – Part 1

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A swimmer’s head sits low in the water and his arms flap out to the sides while trying to keep his head up. The lifeguard sees the telltale signs of a swimmer in distress. She immediately kicks into a whole pre-determined plan as she radios for backup, grabs her fins and rescue tube, chooses the proper entry (from sand or rocks), dolphins through shallow water while unwrapping her tube. Swimming with her head intermittently up to keep sight of the victim, she pauses on the approach, and talks to him as she keeps her buoy between them while extending it. Upon contact, she moves to his rear and buckles the buoy around him, assesses him, signals to shore what his condition is and if she needs help, swims him to the beach while checking intermittently, re-checks him more thoroughly at the shore and renders whatever medical aid is needed. While doing this she prepares to pass all this info on to her supervisor or other first responders.

Making an ocean rescue is a complicated process which requires a great deal of preparation to effect safely. There are a lot of ways this could potentially go sideways, so we spend a large percentage of precious training time on this topic. Obviously, there is a lot of physical training required in advance so the body is prepared, but the real keys are the mental aspects. These we break into two general categories, elimination of variables and cognitive flexibility under stress.

Elimination of variables encompasses a whole range of physical, mental, and psychological components. The overarching concept is when you start the rescue process there are a lot of things that need to happen, so you want to make sure you take care of as many of these variables as you can in advance and have fewer unknowns as you enter the rescue scenario. In addition to the areas that are consistent between most rescues, each event is unique and so things will be encountered that that could not be planned for.

When you go into action your body instinctively kicks in a whole range of physiological responses so you can do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do. Time seems to slow down as chemicals are dumped into your blood stream. Depending on your training and history you can experience a diminished mental capacity while at the same time have an enhanced physical capability. Taking care of as many things as possible in advance is crucial since you may not be at your best mentally during the rescue process. The key components in the concept of elimination of variables are level of fitness, skills, equipment preparation, and state of readiness.

This is the first of a three-part series that is the basis of how we teach rescue theory. Next, we’ll go into each of the specifics of the elimination of variables. Stay tuned for the next installment and Happy Holidays from all of us at the Galveston Island Beach Patrol!

Winter Precautions

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There have been a few wake-up calls in the news about people who didn’t take proper precautions before heading out into the water.  Our year-round staff has been busy while patrolling keeping people away from rip currents near the groins and responding to a myriad of beach emergencies. Hopefully the water will stay cold enough to keep the casual beach visitors out for a couple of months so our crew can rebuild lifeguard towers and take care of all the projects we postponed until the two months we run light patrols. Of course, we’re still available for emergencies and provide rescue response 24/7.

In the winter getting out on the water requires more foresight and preparation than during warmer months. A quick dip in the water when you’re a couple miles from shore can become a serious thing without proper gear. Kayakers, surfers, kite-boarders, stand-up paddlers, etc. should wear the right wetsuit for the specific activity and conditions. When at all appropriate it’s a really good idea to not just bring a lifejacket, but to wear it. That way, when the unexpected happens, you’ll be able to float and wait for help long after the cold water prevents swimming. Sometimes in the winter, and often in the spring, the conditions are ripe for sea fog. This fog can appear all at once or as a white bank that rolls in.

Our Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office, one of the best in the country, is very tuned in to the aquatic environment and puts out all kinds of relevant marine warnings. When we see big difference between the air and water temperatures, they may put out a fog advisory, but localized fog can happen without warning. Rescue workers from all agencies associated with the “Galveston Marine Response” coalition stay busy during these times when kayakers and boaters get lost in fog in West Bay or San Luis Pass, while the Coast Guard typically handles the offshore area.

Aside from proper attire and a Coast Guard approved lifejacket there are a few other things you should do before getting on the water, especially during the winter. First, be sure someone has very specific and accurate information about where you’re going and what times you’ll be out. Having participated in hundreds of searches for people, I can tell you the more accurate a starting point a rescuer has, the more likely they are to locate the missing person. Make sure your cell phone is charged and in a waterproof case. There are a number of apps that can help you find your way around, but don’t rely on fancy electronics! Be sure you have a back up. A built-in watch compass has gotten me out of a jam more than once, and I personally never go out on the water without wearing it.

Winter on the beach and waterways in our county can be incredible, just be sure and take appropriate safety precautions. And have fun!

Triple Rescue

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Recently, two young men and a woman were making an Uber Eats delivery to Galveston and decided to go to the beach. Walking down to the sand at 26th, they saw a ton of surfers and several people out swimming in the warm water. They decided to hit the water.

As they got out to chest deep, the feeder current pulled them towards the Pleasure Pier, gently causing their feet to bounce along the bottom. A fairly strong east to west longshore current ran along the beach. As it hit the jetties and piers, most had significant rip currents on the leeward sides (west side in this scenario). These rip currents had been running for a couple of days and had scoured out pretty deep troughs on the west side of all the structures.

The trio quickly went from bouncing in the shallow waters of the feeder to getting sucked away from shore in the deep waters of the rip current. All three started panicking and went vertical in the water, struggling for each breath.

Someone spotted what was happening, and called the 911 dispatcher, who quickly notified Beach Patrol, then the Galveston Marine Response partners of Police, Fire, and EMS. The call came in that there were 5 people in distress. A minute or so later, the first Beach Patrol truck arrived, and the two Supervisors hit the water.

It was a bit chaotic as they sorted out what was what, but eventually it turned out there were three victims, and the other people were surfers who were helping the victims. This isn’t unusual, surfers probably make at least as many rescues as lifeguards, although this can come at a cost, since most don’t have formal rescue training. Two of the victims were being brought in by surfers and Beach Patrol, Fire, and EMS went to help one that collapsed. One of the lifeguards helped with this while the other, Michael Lucero, went for the third victim on a rescue board.

Michael spotted her being assisted by a surfer, who was reaching across his SUP board and holding her steady about 60 yards from shore. The rip current had spat her out about halfway out the Pleasure Pier, and they were floating quickly to the 27th street jetty. Michael approached and made contact with them about the time they rounded the end of the 27th street jetty. He attempted to get her on the rescue board, and she fell off. Then it got interesting.

The surfer got her up on his board and said, “You ever surf? No? OK 1,2,3!”, and he pushed her into a wave. She made it part way in as Michael paddled after her as fast as he could. She then fell off the board and started to struggle and go under. Michael arrived just in time, grabbed her, wrapped her in his rescue tube, and took her the rest of the way to safety.

This would have gone a different way, were it not for the surfers, and those who make it possible for us to work guards all year!