The following excerpt is from the Town of Nantucket newsletter from the desk of Town Manager Libby Gibson. We wanted to reshare it in thanks to the lifeguards of Nantucket who did an incredible job protecting beach-goers this summer.

“THANK YOU to all our Lifeguards… we appreciate all of you!

The lifeguards in particular had a difficult summer – they have a tough job, made a lot tougher with weather conditions that can become dangerous very quickly. Under the tireless leadership of Harbormaster Sheila Lucey, the Nantucket Lifeguard program holds the prestigious United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) certification. The Nantucket Lifeguard Program is one of only 3 small towns in New England that has this certification. The USLA is the agency that sets national lifeguard standards for open water lifeguard programs with the goal of providing the highest level of public safety in the open water environment. The USLA standards are the foundation on which our program is run.

This summer, our lifeguards have protected 382,468 beachgoers across 10 beaches. They performed 57 open water rescues, assisted 19 individuals, and managed 65 medical emergencies, including 15 EMS transports. Despite several significant and unprecedented challenges, our lifeguards responded with exceptional professionalism and resilience. We are incredibly proud of our 2024 Nantucket Lifeguard Surf Rescue Team and eagerly anticipate summer 2025.”