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wonderful people who train constantly to put their lives on the line to save those in need. When asking what moments brought everyone in the TIOR the closest, the answers seemed to mesh up: Save lives. “When faced with threatening situations, such as strong currents calling for TWELVE people to be rescued under the pier, while more were being swept towards the south end jetties, is one of the reasons why they call us adrenaline junkies,” Stephen joked. Being the top dogs on the beach isn’t all fame and glamour. The guys and gals of TIOR face many challenges. Besides the constant dangers in the water, and the stress of being responsible for so many lives, they find themselves constantly in the sun, hoping for calm waters, always aware of their surroundings, and watching for distressed swimmers. Stephen pointed out, “What brings us together in this job also tears us apart.” In high stress situations it’s easy to get on each other’s nerves, but these heroes are professionals and are able to work as one unit. There are many stories these men and women told, some funny to the craziest questions asked by tourists, such as, “Is the ocean on BOTH sides of the pier?” to the crazy and scary calls. Brandon recalled a few years back when a group walked to the sand bar, and the tide quickly turned. Three lives were lost that day, and nothing hurts more than not being able to save someone. When we asked Stephen about his most memorable moments, he said, “Sex complaints, naked people, and couples doing it on the beach. But we turn those over to TIPD.” Crazy calls aren’t the only type of call they respond to. These brave individuals have also had some close calls. Stephens’s scariest memory was on a cold, rainy day. The beach was deserted, and off shore all he could see was a head bobbing in and out of the water, swiftly being pulled out to sea. Adrenaline set in, and he and his partner leapt into action. They arrived at the woman in distress, who refused to hold on to the can. The situation grew worse as the water became fiercer. It quickly became apparent that if this woman was not calmed down and rescued, that all three may surely drown in the strong current. Once back at shore Stephen told me, “She didn’t say thank you or anything, she just got back in the water.” We asked if any of the lifeguards were volunteers, and Chad told us all were city employees, and a division of the fire department. With that being said, one might wonder where the funds come from for these highly trained professionals. The answer is Parking Services. It really does pay to park! To give you an idea of what occurs on a monthly basis, we took a look at last year’s numbers. May through August of 2016, there were 0 drownings, 175 water rescues/assists, and 417 medical. Those are large numbers for such a small spit of land. So, the next time you are on the beach, give a friendly wave to your neighborhood lifeguard. The next life they save may be yours. Happy Birthday America! By Margie McLellan I don’t know about you, but this time of the year I always feel such pride and patriotism towards our great nation. I love seeing everything decked out in red, white and blue. Our flag stands for everything that makes the United States the greatest country on Earth. Makes me proud to be an American when I see it waving. Most of us will be celebrating the Fourth of July with family and friends by having cookouts, spending the day at the beach, and watching fireworks. As we celebrate the 241st birthday of our country, I hope that everyone will proudly display their flag. If you have ever watched Big Bang Theory, you know how much Sheldon Cooper loves flags. He does a podcast called Fun with Flags. So, taking my cue from Sheldon, I am going to regale you with some flag trivia: ���� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ���� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ in the world. Denmark’s flag, adopted in 1219, is the oldest. ���� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������The Stars and Stripes, The Star Spangled Banner, The Red, White and Blue, and Old Glory. ���� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ the 50 stars are for our 50 states. White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness and valor, and Blue signifies perseverance and justice. ���� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ designing the flag, there is no evidence that she actually did so. She wasn’t even credited for it until 40 years after her death. ���� �������� ���������� ������ ������ ���������� ������������ ���������� ������ ������������ �������� ������ ������������������ �������� ������������������ in 1958 by 17 year old high school student, Robert Heft, of Lancaster, Ohio. While his teacher only awarded him a B- for the project, President Eisenhower chose his design out of 1,500 entries. (Thankfully, Heft’s teacher made good on her promise to raise his grade in the unlikely event that his design won.) ���� ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� as part of the Apollo 11 mission, the first manned landing. ���� ���������������� ������������������ ���������� ������ �������������������� �������� ������������ ���������� ���������� ���������������� American flags. On the same date the year before, they only sold 6,400 flags. ���� ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� people in uniform, should face the flag with their right hand over their heart. The same goes if the flag is being raised or lowered as part of a ceremony. ���� Care and Respect: The U.S. flag should always be treated with the utmost care and respect. The flag represents a living country and, as such, is considered a living thing. The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise. Always keep the flag clean and safe. Always dispose of a flag properly, preferably by burning it (you can turn your flag in to the American Legion – they have a flag burning ceremony). Always treat the flag with respect. Never embroider it on household items or pieces of clothing. TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JULY 2017 9


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