Avalon Beach Patrol

The history of the Avalon Beach Patrol is the history of lifeguarding in New Jersey. Starting in the 1850s, up-and-coming resort towns recognized that vacationers were attracted to safe beaches. At first, police officers were responsible for protecting bathers – changing out of their uniforms and into beachwear, but they were eventually replaced by volunteers known as “bathing masters” who worked for tips.

In addition to their swimming abilities, these early lifeguards relied on wooden poles and lifelines to rescue beach-goers in trouble.

The Avalon Beach Patrol was formally established under Mayor Gilbert Smith in 1905, when a lifesaving station was built at Ninth Street and the beach. Walter A. Smith and Howard High were then hired as Avalon’s first lifeguards. During the months of July and August, these two men patrolled the beach every day from 10 am to 4 pm.

Working for $2.50 a day, Smith and High also served as borough police.

Between 1905 and the 1920s, the Avalon Beach Patrol grew. The borough began hiring college students to serve as lifeguards - a practice that continues today. Additional lifesaving stations were also built. One was constructed at 32^nd Street in 1908, followed by another at 21^st Street in 1910.

Starting at 8 am, members of the beach patrol would clean the beach, then hold timed practice drills until the beaches opened.

This commitment to training was reinforced under the leadership of Captain Bill Eaton, who was responsible for increasing the physical requirements for new lifeguards and organizing the Avalon Junior Beach Patrol as an apprenticeship program.

Eaton is also credited with establishing the paddleboard as standard lifesaving equipment in Avalon.

Since 1949, the Avalon Beach Patrol has won the following events at the annual South Jersey Lifeguard Championships:


1949 - Don DeForrest (Swim)

1972 - Pat Gallagher (Swim)
1973 - Avalon (Team); Tim McKee (Swim)
1974 - Avalon (Team); Mike McCafferty (Swim); Fran Sutter (Singles Row)
1975 - Mike McCafferty (Swim)

1980 - Avalon (Team); Dan O'Malley and Dave Kerr (Doubles Row)
1981 - Avalon (Team, tie); Ed Flory (Swim); Jim Ronan (Singles Row)
1982 - Avalon (Team); Jim Ronan (Singles Row)
1985 - Ed Flory (Swim); Dave Cox (Singles Row)
1989 - Avalon (Team); Darren Ford and Rob Dougherty (Doubles Row); Chris Craft (Swim)

1990 - Mark Duszak and J.J. Nissley (Doubles Row)
1991 - Avalon (Team); Craig Whitehead and Mike Cras (Doubles Row); John Glomb (Singles Row)
1992 - Avalon (Team, tie); Craig Whitehead and Mike Cras (Doubles Row)
1993 - Craig Whitehead and Mike Cras (Doubles Row)

2000 - John Glomb (Singles Row)
2002 - John Glomb (Singles Row)

2011 - Erich Wolf (Singles Row)
2015 - Avalon (Team)
2017 - Erich Wolf (Singles Row)

These young women were motivated to join the patrol for the same reasons as their male counterparts. Some simply loved the beach and being outdoors, while others were college athletes who wanted to stay in shape during the summer.

Women in the Avalon Beach Patrol were held to the same standard as male lifeguards, which required applicants to be strong athletic contenders during tryouts. This benefited female beach patrol members both in their daily lifesaving activities and competitions.

In 2018, the female members of the Avalon Beach Patrol achieved their highest race outcome to date at the Longport Women's Lifeguard Invitational:

2nd Place Overall
2nd Place in Doubles Row: Reilly Bonner and Danielle Smith
4th Place in Swim: McKensie Meyer
2nd Place in Singles Row: Reilly Bonner
5th Place in Paddleboard: McKensie Meyer

Today, the Avalon Beach Patrol remains dedicated to their lifesaving mission and continues to excel in competitions as new generations of lifeguards follow in the footsteps of those who came before.