VB Oceanfront gears up busy Memorial Day weekend

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — “Sun, fun, beach days from Memorial Day through Labor Day and before and after.”

Those words are from Chief Lifeguard Tom Gill with the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service (VBLS).

Last year, they pulled 800 people out of the water, and Gill and the lifeguards are preparing themselves for one of the biggest challenges they’ll have.

“We typically have upwards of 500 to 1,000 lost children per summer and we always reunite them,” Gill said. “But it’s just, every one of those things that takes away from the lifeguard’s job of watching the water.”

Lifeguard Sophia Dacruz, who has three siblings who were also on the VBLS, explained from her 20th Street chair how she gets the attention of those in the water who may be having trouble.

“I blow the whistle with two blasts,” Dacruz said. “That is for anyone in the water or anyone who may be struggling or going too far out. … I will then direct them to move more in front of my chair.”

We found friends from New Jersey and Pennsylvania on the beach.

“This is pretty much it,” one of them said. “A lot of beach, a concert, then we are headed home.”

We found friends from Northern Virginia, who preferred Virginia Beach to take a break from school.

“It’s not too crowded today, so I’ve been enjoying that a lot,” said Sally Johnson.

“Yeah, compared to the other beaches we’ve been too, it’s quiet and it’s peaceful and it’s nice,” said Jenna Saykhamphone.

“I just like it better compared to the other beaches around us,” another said.

We met 10-year-olds Lincoln Burns from Ohio, and Jack Parker from Oklahoma showing off immense talent cartwheeling down the beach, and both are in town for a wrestling tournament.

Lincoln also told us why he is here.

“We wrestle because there were three kids who used to wrestle for team BROH, and they died so I come here to support them.”

We asked what do we think about this beach compared to others?

“It’s a lot better,” Lincoln said.

Jack likes the baby crabs he finds in the sand.

“Yes, you can pick up the baby crabs, pick them up,” Jack said.

Gill said one of the big changes this year is money,

“We have a new contract with the city, and that’s allowed us to increase the pay,” Gill said, “and that has certainly led to an increase to people coming out to what we know is the best job in the world.”

As Gill begins his 33rd year with the lifesaving service, he looks back on the changing tide at the Oceanfront.

“You could typically just talk to the lifeguards from the boardwalk,” Gill said. “Since then, the beach expansion has created a much bigger beach. The boardwalk is brand new in 2000. I mean, the whole outlook here, the hotels have grown exponentially bigger, and our number of people on the beach are exponentially higher.”

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