Woman Gives Brick Lifeguards Praise For Quick Actions In Ocean Rescue

BRICK, NJ — Dawn Madonna says it's the kind of thing that makes her proud to be a Brick Township resident.

Madonna was relaxing at Brick Beach I on Sunday afternoon when she witnessed an ocean rescue by Brick Township's lifeguards of a woman who was struggling in the water. In a note to the Brick Patch, she wrote:

"I think everyone should know just how fantastic the lifeguards are at Brick's beaches. At the beach today, as everyone knows, the waves and current were extremely strong. All of a sudden the lifeguard whistle starts blowing. Three quick blows to the station up top. As this was happening, the lifeguard jumps off the chair and runs like a bat out of hell as the other lifeguard is getting everyone out of the water," she wrote.

"Lifeguards came running from everywhere. There was a lady in the water that couldn't get out. Watching them rescue her was amazing. Their training and expertise blew my mind,. The lady was on the private beach next to Brick Beach 1," she said.

Dan Santaniello, director of recreation for Brick Township, said Sunday was a busy day at the township's three ocean beaches.

"We had a total of five water rescues and two of them were multiple victims," he said. In addition, two adults were injured and had to be taken to the hospital by EMTs, he said.

"Our guards in Brick Township do a GREAT job year in and year out," Santaniello said. "They train every morning on real-life emergencies and water rescues. We do not train for lifeguard competitions; we feel that is a totally different aspect of guarding and should be done on your own time."

"We have patrons travel over an hour to Brick Beach because of how vigilant our guards are," he said.

With students returning to college, beaches up and down the shore have fewer lifeguards right now, Santaniello said. Compounded with the fact that the water is usually at its roughest end of August and beginning of September, "that makes it much more important to listen to the lifeguards."

Santaniello said in Brick, the beach captain and beach supervisors are taking turns sitting on the stands now to ensure guards get rest so they can be fully effective in keeping watch.

"This is why Brick Township guards are on their A game all the time; we rotate our guards as often as possible throughout the day."

"Nobody can watch the water being 100 percent effective for more than an hour a time," he said.

Madonna said that when the lifeguards got the woman safely to shore, "Needless to say the entire beach was clapping for them. These young men didn't miss a beat. Makes you proud to be a mother in a town with such wonderful young men."

"I just thought they deserved a shout out," she said.

Brick Township lifeguards during a training session in July 2015. Photo via Township of Brick Municipal Government page