ATLANTIC CITY — When most people think of Atlantic City, they picture casinos, the Boardwalk and the beach.
What many don't realize is that Atlantic City also holds a unique place in American history as the birthplace of organized ocean lifeguarding in the United States.
That legacy is now taking center stage with plans for the International Lifeguard Museum, a new attraction that organizers say will preserve more than a century of lifesaving history while educating future generations about beach safety.
The effort officially kicks off Aug. 19 with a fundraising and awareness event at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, where organizers hope to introduce the public to what they envision becoming one of Atlantic City's newest cultural attractions.
Among those helping lead the effort is longtime educator, author and Sea Isle City Beach Patrol veteran Tom McCann, who said Atlantic City is the natural home for an international museum dedicated to lifeguarding.
"It is a real honor, and it's a great group that is getting this going in Atlantic City," McCann said during an appearance on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND's AC Mike Lopez Show (weekdays @ Noon).
Where Lifeguarding Began
According to McCann, Atlantic City's role in lifesaving predates the first beach patrols by decades.
"Atlantic City is where everything started, really, in lifeguarding and lifesaving," he said.
Long before modern rescue stands lined the beaches, the waters off Absecon Island were among the most dangerous along the East Coast.
"The number one place in the country for shipwrecks was the island of Atlantic City," McCann said, noting the area experienced even more shipwrecks than the famed waters off North and South Carolina.
The dangerous shoals and sandbars prompted the creation of the United States Life-Saving Service, the federal organization that later became part of today's U.S. Coast Guard.
"The fishermen are really our first lifeguards," McCann explained. "The United States Life-Saving Service recruited fishermen because they knew the waters. They knew where all the sandbars were, the gullies were, the shoals were."
As tourism expanded in Atlantic City during the late 1800s, hotels began hiring lifeguards to protect swimmers, laying the foundation for what would become organized municipal beach patrols.
Volunteer lifeguards soon evolved into professionally organized rescue organizations, culminating in the creation of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol in 1895, widely recognized as the nation's oldest continuously operating municipal beach patrol.
McCann said even the rescue boats used by lifeguards were first designed specifically for Atlantic City's beaches.
"Those boats on the beach were specifically built for Atlantic City Beach Patrol," he said.
A Brotherhood of Lifesavers
Although each shore community operates its own beach patrol, McCann said South Jersey's lifeguards have functioned as one extended family for generations.
"The fraternity of South Jersey lifeguards... is an outstanding group of guys and gals," he said. "One patrol helps out another patrol."
He pointed to examples dating back nearly a century.
"When Sea Isle City's boat got broken against a jetty in 1927, Atlantic City lent them a boat for the rest of the summer," McCann said. "That kind of benevolence has gone on and on ever since."
Today, the South Jersey Chiefs Association continues that spirit of cooperation among the region's 15 beach patrols.
"It's been going on for 75 to 80 years," McCann said. "It's a great group."
More Than a Museum
Organizers say the International Lifeguard Museum will be much more than a collection of artifacts.
The museum plans to gather rescue equipment, historic photographs, oral histories and accounts of dramatic rescues from beach patrols across the country and around the world.
"We're collecting artifacts. We're collecting stories," McCann said. "We're going to have interviews. We're going to have videos of different rescues that went on."
A major emphasis will also be placed on public education.
"Our biggest thing... is awareness of safety in the water and educating people on how to handle the water and the conditions on the beaches," McCann said.
He noted that numerous drownings occur every year before beaches are fully staffed for the summer season.
"The lifeguards are so needed continuously," he said.
McCann believes lifeguards are often an overlooked reason South Jersey's beach communities have flourished.
"I believe the lifeguard organization is the lifeblood of South Jersey's tourism industry," he said. "It's really the key to the success of what goes on in Atlantic and Cape May counties with our beaches."
National Support
The project has already received strong backing from across the lifesaving community.
McCann said all 15 South Jersey beach patrols have endorsed the museum, along with the United States Life-Saving Association, whose membership includes beach patrols from across the country.
"They've already endorsed the whole project," he said. "We're really excited about what's happening."
He also credited State Sen. Chris Brown, himself a former Atlantic City lifeguard, with helping move the project forward.
"Due to Chris Brown's leadership... we've had some really, really good guys leading the parade here," McCann said.
A Fitting Home
The Aug. 19 kickoff event will be held at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, another location steeped in Atlantic City history. McCann noted that the late Jim Whelan was also a former Atlantic City lifeguard.
"It's the perfect fit for the perfect program for the perfect city," McCann said. "Now the entire country is going to enjoy this, and it's going to make people aware of lifeguarding and lifesaving."
If organizers succeed, the International Lifeguard Museum will become more than another attraction on the Boardwalk. It will serve as a reminder that long before Atlantic City became known for casinos and entertainment, it earned an international reputation for something even more enduring: protecting lives in the surf.
For a city built around the ocean, organizers believe there may be no story more worth telling.
For more on the museum go to https://www.internationallifeguardmuseum.org/museum
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
