hunting island lifeguards proposal

8/13/2019 Hunting Island Lifeguards proposal

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Executive Somm.an-

I. Hunting Island Profit4 Per Year

2009-2010 201 f - 2Jlll ; 2fH1 - 2012 2012-2013

Profits Sl,098,830 S J X J 9 ~ 3 S1,230,493 1,352,013

3 Year Average ofProttt.s: S1-172.7..f1

2 Hunting Island Visitors Per Year

2009-2010 2010-2011 I 2011 - 2{ 12 2012-2013

iVisitors 1,969,660* 1 9 ~ I 1, )53,410 1,075 ,120

• Figure appears overstated, but was providedby Pad per FOIA

3. Number of Drownings on Hunting Island' s 4 miles of Beaches in las

4l ears- 6.

4. Number of Drownings on Hilton Head' s 13..5 miles of Beaches (withlifeguards) over last 18 vears- 8..

5 Annual Cost to Provide Lifeguards @ Hunting Island- 135,000

a 3 lifeguard stations

- 2 @ public beach

- l @ campground

b. Memorial Day to Labor Day - 9:00 a..m. to 5:00 p.m., 7 days a week



HUNTING ISLAND LIFEGUARDS

A Plan to Put Lives Over Profits

A. Introduction

. This is a summary report along with a proposal to implement and fund a plan to provid

for hfeguards at three (3) designated swimming zones at Hunting Island State Park ( Park.,) fo

2014. The report was compiled by impacted rescue groups, concerned citizens and organization

to address the tragic drownings at the Park. Participants in the group involve the Beaufort Wate

Seru ch and Rescue (Beaufort Rescue), Fripp Island Search and Rescue (Fripp Rescue), Beaufor

Regtonal Chamberof

Commerce,Be

aufort County Associationof

Realtors, Merritt Pattersonand Russell Patterson. Significant assistance was provided by Ralph Wagner, President of Shor

Beach Service. lnc. ( .Shore Beach ), which has provided lifeguard services for over twenty (20

years on the 13.5 miles of beach on nearby Hilton Head Island. Mr. Wagner is also a Regiona

Officer of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), a national organization thacertifies lifeguard programs on coastal beaches.

B. The Problem

Over the last four years (2010- 2013), there have been six 6) drownings at the Park. No

lifeguards are provided for the visitors to the Park, although they have historically been provided

in the past. This critical service was last provided in 1998. Although the Park is a relativelysmall beach, consisting of only 4 miles, it is the only public beach for all of northern BeauforCounty, and is visited by an average of 1,050,000 persons a year. Statistically, it is a much more

dangerous place to swim than nearby Hilton Head, with over 13 miles of beach and 2,300,000

beach visitors per year. Over the last 18 years, only 8 people have drowned on Hilton Head

beaches compared to 6 people in just the last 4 years at the Park.

One of the key reasons for this startling difference is that Hilton Head has a longstanding,

highly respected lifeguard program certified by USLA. The Park provides no protection

whatsoever to its visitors, other than a few signs stating No Lifeguards . Another difference in

the two beaches is that Hilton Head's shoreline is mainly flat, while at the Park there areprevalent rip currents and dangerous inlets. The importance of lifeguards at the Park cannot be

understated. Lifeguards are provided on many other beaches in our area, including MyrtleBeach, Tybee, and Charleston.

C. The Solution

The obvious solution for this problem is that S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism(SCPRT) must implement and fund a comprehensive lifeguard program for 2014 at the Park, as

was done in the past. s noted above, such programs are present at neighboring beaches with ahigh number of visitors. The good news is that the cost of such a program is modest, SCPR T can



~ O r k with Mr. Ralpb Wagner and USLA. and put in place such a program without having to "re

IDVenl the •-bed oc undergo the typical growing pains of starting a program from scratch.

(1) Source of Funding- Parle Revenues

Based on fmancial records provided directly by SCPRT, the Park generated a profit for

2012- 2013 of $1352.0 13. Over the last 3 years (2010- 2013), the Park has averaged a profit

of $1,197,.374 Ex. 2). With this type of r o f i ~ clearly SCRPT has the available funds to provide

a safe swunmi.ng envirorunem for the very people who generate these funds.

It lOOk a massive search effort over th rc:e (3) days to recover all of the bodies in the most

recent July 2 13 dtownings. This includes extensive efforts by the US Coast Guard, Beaufort

County Sbc:riffsOff ee (including their dive team), S.C. Department of Natural Resources, Fripp

1sJand Rescue. Beaufort County Rescue, and hundreds of man hours of Park employees. The

cost of this hffCUiean search effort, mostly borne by others, not SC PRT (i.e., County,

private groups, U.S. Govcmmmt) could have paid for the lifeguard program for the whole

~ n(2) Cost of Lifeguard Program

Working with Mr. Ralpb Wagnet". with 20 years experience on Hilton Head, our group

proposes three (3) protected swimming zones be established- two (2) at the public beach andone (I) at the campgJOUDd This will provide ..safe zones . for those who do not know how to

swim. have children. or just want the added protection and safety afforded by trained lifeguards.

Lifeguard services would be provided from the Sunday of Memorial Day through Labor Day

(100 days) from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.. seven (7) days a week A total of nine (9) employees

would be needed which includes a supervisor. The total cost the first year for such a

program is less than $135,000 (Ex. 3, Detailed Budget). After initial start-up costs of around

$41,000, the program can be run for around $94,000 a year. With average profits of around

$1.200.000 a year ( Ex. I , this is a very reasonable expense, easily affordable by SCPRT as a

necessary and life-savingexpense of running the Park.

(3) Expected Response of SCPRT

Here are our group's responses to the following positions taken by SCPRT in the past

when faced with public pressure to take action:

(a) PRT Position- The Park Rangers currently on beach patrol adequately address

the safecy of swimmers.

Response - While it is ttue it appears over the last several years, beach patrols of

Park Rangers on ATVs have increased, their focus is on activities on the beach

(i.e., unleashed dogs, drinking, lost children, parking issues, etc.). The focus of

said par:rols is clearly not directed to those in the water and cannot possibly

provide the level of protection afforded by trained and certified lifeguards

overseeing designated swimming zones. The high rate of drownings on such a

4



small beach is testament to the failure of such patrols as some type of substitutefor dedicated lifeguards.

(b) RT Position - The Park cannot find and hire lifeguards. We have tried before,without success.

Response - As noted above, many nearby beaches are able to properly staff beachlifeguard services. Shore Services on Hilton Head employs over 75 people each

year. If the Park in the past has not been able to attract lifeguards, it simply needs

to offer more money. The proposed budget offers competitive wages, and there is

a $10,000 miscellaneous line item for any needed flexibility.

c) PRT Position- We need the profits generated by the Park to fund other State

parks which generate little or no revenue.

Response - Lives of visitors to the Park should not be lost or put at risk to fundparks in other parts of the State. The visitors to the Park generating the$1,200,000 per year in profits should be adequately protected with a professional

lifesaving program.

(4) Other Information

Attached is a listing of exhibits with more detailed information about the need for

lifeguards, including additional statistics, incident reports, newspaper articles, and otherinformation.

f u l l o i i l i ~u sell P. P a t t e r s o n ~

P. 0. Box 8047Hilton Head Island SC 29938

Phone: 843-341-9300russell @russellpattersonlaw com

hunting island lifeguards proposal

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