By Ted Koch, Philadelphia Daily News, Thursday, June 9, 1983

The changing of the guard at Wildwood this season was a little different than usual.

There were some applicants for the nearly 80-man Wildwood Beach Patrol from as far north as upstate New York and New England. And a couple were among the 15 who hooked on at the tryouts for new lifeguards this past weekend at the resort’s popular beach.

Traditionally, the task of protecting the 80,000 to 100,000 daily summer sun-worshippers at Wildwood’s beaches has fallen on the broad shoulders of Delaware Valley’s young high school and college athletes - swimmers and football, basketball, baseball, etc. players.

But, according to beach patrol captain Eugene “Scoop” Taylor, there’s an incentive that’s becoming more widely know each summer. And the prize is something that’s going to happen next winter.

The beach patrol’s swimming team takes a free nine-day trip to Hollywood, Fla., in December to swim in a tournament between Jersey and Florida lifeguard teams.

It is funded by special projects by the lifeguards and an annual contribution by local restaurateur Ed Zaberer.

The Florida trip is a special project of Taylor’s who always has been gung-ho on his swimming team.

The team during the summer competes with beach patrol teams along the coast and especially hard against those from Atlantic City down to Cape May.

Swimming is what it’s all about on the patrol.

Taylor stressed speed swimming during tests for the recruits last Saturday. They also had the added incentive of 58-degree water in the ocean. None of them cared to stay in the water too long at that temperature.

The job they were vying for isn’t all as glamorous as it’s cracked up to be, according to Taylor.

He limits the girl-watching to weekdays (he says) and prohibits it on weekends.

There are also other facets of the job.

On an average, 60 to 70 kids are lost each weekend, he said.

“And every panicky mother is convinced her child drowned.”

There are two French-speaking members of the patrol whose services are essential at a time like this if the parents of the lost tot are Canadians - who make up almost 20 percent of the summer tourists.

The guard captain is in constant touch by radio with the other beach patrol station and first aid center at Taylor Street and the Boardwalk. The radio also links him with his lieutenants patroling the beach in jeeps and with police headquarters in the event additional help is needed.

© 1983 Philadelphia Daily News. Reproduced with permission.