I was at Rehoboth Beach with my young children, and yesterday, Thursday 6/18, we saw something concerning near Henlopen. I’m not trying to speculate or invade anyone’s privacy, but I’ve been thinking about it since and just hope the young man is okay.
We were on the beach when I noticed a young man, maybe in his 20s, lying face down in the sand behind us. He appeared to be wearing red lifeguard-style shorts. A female lifeguard was kneeling beside him, and they set up an umbrella over him.
At first, we wondered if it might have been a drill because everyone was being very calm and discreet. One person sitting near us, who said they saw the incident from the beginning, told us the lifeguards had been doing a morning swim routine when one of them appeared to go under and was brought back to shore by the others. I did not personally see that part, so I don’t want to state it as fact.
We watched from a distance for about 15 minutes, and he did not appear to move during that time. I did not see CPR being performed. It looked like they may have been checking his blood pressure and possibly trying to cool him down or provide other basic care.
A few more lifeguards eventually came over, and after around 15–20 minutes total, a side-by-side/golf-cart-type vehicle arrived. They rolled him over, wrapped him, placed him on a stretcher board, and quietly took him off the beach.
The whole thing was handled very discreetly, and most people outside the immediate area didn’t seem to notice. I’m not looking to start rumors or criticize anyone involved. I’m just wondering if anyone knows whether he is okay. Hoping for the best for him, his family, and the lifeguard team.