18-Year-Old Drowns at Popular Maryland Beach Days After Lawmakers Warned 'Lives Are at Risk' Due to Lifeguard Shortage

A man has drowned at a popular Maryland beach just days after politicians asked the Trump administration to restore lifeguard staffing in the area, arguing in a letter that "lives are at risk."

The 18-year-old, whose identity has not been released, died while swimming at Assateague Island National Seashore in Berlin, Md., in the afternoon of July 24, according to a news release from the National Park Service (NPS), which manages the beach.

The man was swimming with one other person near the southern end of Assateague’s Chincoteague Beach Parking Lot when they both began “struggling in the water,” the NPS said. At 4:15 p.m. local time, a “relative ran down the beach” to alert lifeguards to the struggling swimmers, who were “well offshore,” the federal agency said.

Lifeguards responded, per NPS, and both of the swimmers were pulled from the water. One was “successfully rescued” while the 18-year-old was unconscious and unresponsive, and given CPR, the agency said.

He was then transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, the NPS said.

“Although the area of the incident is 150 yards south of the lifeguarded zone of the seashore, on duty lifeguards responded quickly and assisted with the search,” the NPS said in the news release.

The agency also said that the effort to help the swimmers included law enforcement with the park and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, as well as contracted lifeguards and the State of Virginia. CBS News previously reported that no lifeguards are working at Assateague this summer due to federal budget cuts.

The July 24 beach fatality comes just days after two Maryland senators wrote a joint letter urging President Donald Trump’s administration to fill Assateague lifeguard roles left open due to federal budget cuts, per CBS News. (Almost 1,000 NPS employees were laid off earlier this year in an effort to cut costs, according to the outlet.)

“We urge you to fill all vacant lifeguard positions at Assateague immediately to protect public safety at this popular beach destination,” senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks wrote in the letter, per CBS News. The lawmakers also called the lack of lifeguards at the beach a “public safety risk.”

The popular spot, known for strong rip currents, receives over two million visitors each year, the senators’ letter said, per CBS News. Last year, lifeguards made a minimum of 24 rescues at Assateague, according to the lawmakers' plea.

“It seems that reduced capacity at NPS from Trump administration funding and staff cuts, combined with the fact that hiring delays forced area lifeguards to look elsewhere for summer employment, have played a role in NPS's failure to put basic measures in place to keep visitors safe at Assateague,” the senators wrote, per CBS News.

“Lives are at risk with no lifeguards at Assateague,” the lawmakers continued. “Rip currents, large waves and marine debris are significant hazards that can harm or endanger beachgoers."

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When asked about the staffing issue, the NPS told CBS News that lifeguard shortages are a "nationwide concern even outside of our public lands.”

"Many communities and cities across the country are experiencing a lifeguard shortage below ideal levels,” the NPS said. “Visitors have always had access to unguarded beaches and guarded beaches even after lifeguards leave for the day. We appreciate the public's understanding and cooperation as we work to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.”

While announcing the July 24 death, the federal agency also issued a warning, stating: “We ask our visitors to never venture too far from shore and pay attention to wind and currents which can transport you long distances quickly.”

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