In Wake of Drowning, Long Branch Council Looks To Extend Lifeguard, Badge Sale Hours

Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider said he has public safety at city beaches on his mind after a near Pier Village on Memorial Day weekend.

That is why he proposed two ordinances that would extend the hours lifeguards patrol city beaches and also increase the hours when beach badges are sold and required to gain entry.

"We had a tragedy on Memorial Day," Mayor Schneider said. "We immediately began looking at how we could do things differently."

Mayor Schneider said most drownings, such as the one that occurred on May 27 in Long Branch, occur because someone swims on an unprotected beach. Rudy Mena, 17, of Patterson, was swimming after hours when a rip tide pulled him out to sea where he died of "accidental drowning," according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

The city's lifeguards are on duty until 5 p.m., but Mayor Schneider said people stay on the beaches past that time.

The first ordinance would allow lifeguards to stay on duty until 7 p.m. on Friday Saturday, Sunday and major holidays such as the Fourth of July at all city-owned beaches.

Mayor Schneider said that would mean about 6 extra lifeguards would be needed for the remaining summer months.

"It's a valid way to keep people safe and I think that is a priority right now," Mayor Schneider said.

Because the extra lifeguards for the summer season would cost the city approximately $7,000, the Mayor Schneider said the money has to be raised to pay for their services. 

"The budget line item has to be increased," he said.

The city currently stops charges for beach badges from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day during the summer. The new ordinance would extend those hours to 7 p.m. on weekends and major holidays, so anybody wishing to visit those beaches would have to purchase a seasonal or daily badge up until that time.

"If you are going to go on a guarded beach, there would be a compensatory charge," Mayor Schneider said.

Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli said she felt the ordinances were fair and would be in the best interests of the city.

"I like the proposal and I think we are taking a safety precaution," Councilwoman Celli said.

For a list of daily and seasonal city beach badge prices, click here. The city increased the price of some of its daily and seasonal badges last year, but did not change the rates this summer.

Both ordinances were introduced on Tuesday and could be adopted at the next meeting on June 26.