They Had to Go Out - Beach Rescue Edition

Deputy Pillar Point Harbor Master Jacob Walding (@jacwalding ) talks another incredibly daring PWC rescue in big surf off the northern California coast when a boat capsizes and throws six people into the water, making tough decisions on the order in which victims are recovered, the realities of behavior for those in true survival situations, and the reaction when we realize one of our own needs an assist.

Support Jacob in raising funds for those fighting cancer @the24hmb and http://www.monsterandsea.com

This episode was first released to the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA as a member benefit to encourage their continued support of the museum when it was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Consider supporting @marinersmuseum in these trying times to ensure their doors remain open to inspire future generations to go to sea.

Kelly Keefe, with a decade of service to Ocean City’s Beach Patrol, talks making decisions as an off duty crew chief to avert an early morning near miss in a strong rip current, running a quad to manage dozens of rescues on a single fall day in the wake of a passing storm when her team was severely understaffed, overcoming tragedy and loss with her team, how women can best prepare for service in Beach Rescue and why they should pursue the job, and becoming a national champion with the US Life Saving Association.

Aquatics Unit Manager Bob Manners talks a series of rescues during a period of severe weather at Chesapeake Bay’s Buckroe Beach, the selfless actions of a lifeguard to protect a survivor from injury on a dangerous breakwall, and how the City of Hampton develops and trains its lifeguards to transition from the pool to open water.

Sergeant Jason Konyar of the Ocean City Maryland Beach Patrol talks battling rip currents to save lives on the state’s busiest beach, what it takes to join the patrol, and coping with tragedy when it occurs.

Assistant Pillar Point Harbor Master Jacob Walding talks an incredibly daring and selfless PWC rescue in 15 foot seas off the northern California coast, how fitness corresponds to confidence and capability in the water, and how the possibility of saving a life warrants maximum effort.

Historian Gary Thomas of the Association for Rescue at Sea talks the nonprofit’s global mission, it’s awards, and its partnership with They Had to Go Out Podcast to bring you the most dangerous, daring, and epic sea stories of professional and volunteer ocean rescuers.