OCEAN CITY, MD. (WBFF) — The Ocean City Beach Patrol started with one lifeguard hired in 1930 to watch over swimmers.
Today, it is one of the largest operations of its kind in the world, according to Beach Patrol Capt. Butch Arbin. It’s the seasonal force responsible for watching over millions of beachgoers, most of them unaware of the discipline behind the quiet act of sitting, scanning and waiting.
Arbin has been part of that world since 1973 and captain since 1997, making him one of only three Beach Patrol captains since the 1940s. He is also a Baltimore native and Charles County educator of 49 years, one of many teachers shaped by a summer job built on stamina, judgment and poise.
Arbin joined the patrol as a 15-year-old, hired while his family was on vacation. When they went home, he stayed behind, renting space in a Talbot Street rooming house for $12.50 a week. He survived on a $1 nightly diet of two slices of pizza and a medium Coke on the boardwalk.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.
Local Story
