July 10th marked the Cape May SuperAthalon Race’s 25th year. The SuperAthalon Race takes less than an hour – less than 48 minutes to be more exact – but this “Iron Man” competition pits the strongest and the fittest of the areas’ lifeguards against one another.
It is the creation of Captain Buzz Mogck, head of Cape May’s Beach Patrol. The event is actually three races which focus on the skills most needed in a rescue situation – running, rowing and swimming. The performance of the 15 lifeguards who participated is scored the same as a triathlon would be with trophies being awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, place winners. Judges for the events included City Manager Lou Corea, Robert Cwick, Pete Pietras and Al Pappas of the Cape May Beach Patrol and Bud Johnson of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol. Lt. Harry Back of Cape May was the event coordinator.
Trophy winners included Jeff Nickles, Brigantine Beach Patrol; Martin Carson, Atlantic City Beach Patrol; and Mike Tripician, Ventnor Beach Patrol.
And now for the point of the story. Cape May has recently expanded its hours for beach coverage. Prior to this summer, the beaches were patrolled from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This summer a new policy has been in effect whereby a lieutenant and two lifeguards stay in the lifeguard station at Grant Street Beach until sunset to be on hand in case a problem arises. The program is called the After-hours Aquatic Rescue Team (AART).
Just such a problem arose Saturday July 21st when a family decided to take a dip around 8 p.m. Many people don’t understand (and either don’t read or ignore the signs) that Cape May’s beaches are closed once the lifeguards leave the beach. The currents, according to Lt. Harry Back, had been particularly bad all week. That evening a woman and her two daughters went swimming and ran into trouble off Broadway Beach. A 911 call alerted the Cape May Fire Department and off-duty lifeguards, but, because a team of lifeguards was already in place with the necessary equipment for a rescue at their fingertips.
The two daughters got caught in the undercurrent and the mother, who went in to save her daughters quickly got into trouble as well. By the time the fire department arrived, the three victims were already coming out of the water.
According the reports from the Press of Atlantic City, when the on-duty lifeguards arrived at the scene the three victims’ heads were just above water and woauld have drowned had it not been for the quick response of AART.
So, getting back to the SuperAthalon Race, although clearly a feats of skill competition which is no doubt fun, the underlining point is readiness both mental and physical. These and the morning drills conducted daily keep Cape May’s Beach Patrol at top readiness and that’s a good thing because, make no mistake about it, the life they save could very well be your own.
