WBM Day in the Life: Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue

Witness a day on the job with WBOR an award-winning team of professional lifesavers rigorously conditioned and trained to excel in nationwide competitions and protect the island’s thousands of summertime beachgoers.

9:18 a.m.

Ocean rescue personnel run sprints down the beach as a part of their weekly physical training. They train together every Monday Wednesday and Friday mornings south of Crystal Pier. Their workout for this day involved prone paddleboarding swimming and sprints through the sand.

12:52 p.m.

Ocean rescue personnel Will Swiss and Zack Sowers survey the beach strand south of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier. Beneath them a rescue buoy and fins are propped in the sand ready for one of them to grab quickly when he needs to make a rescue.

2:27 p.m.

Josh Drew jumps off the lifeguard stand just north of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier and grabs his rescue buoy and fins. Drew says he props his buoy and fins vertically in the sand because he is tall so he doesn’t have to reach down as far when he is rushing to make a rescue. Each Ocean Rescue professional arranges his buoy and fins differently based on personal preference Drew adds.

5:01 p.m.

An ocean rescue professional takes down a surf zone flag. Surf zone flags are placed on either side of lifeguard stands from 10 am to 5 pm. Surfing between the flags is prohibited during those hours.