Strong ocean waves and powerful tides continue to challenge beachgoers this summer, leading to another dramatic rescue at Silver Beach in Volusia County, Florida. On July 30, two lifeguards, including Dempsey Manhart, were credited with saving the life of a 5-year-old boy who was pulled unconscious from the ocean.

According to Manhart, who was about to take his lunch break, the boy's family frantically flagged him down for help. The child was unconscious and held by a family member when Manhart began assisting. His co-lifeguard, Mackenzie Malone, arrived and checked the boy's pulse, prompting the lifeguards to immediately start CPR.

A lifeguard in her fourth summer on the job described this rescue as her first time saving a child from drowning. The successful intervention allowed the boy to survive and return home to his family.

This incident comes amid reports from Fox News Digital that Los Angeles County lifeguards performed nearly 2,000 ocean rescues during a single weekend this summer due to elevated surf and dangerous rip currents along Southern California beaches.

Lifeguards and water safety experts continue to urge beach visitors to check ocean conditions before entering the water. As one lifeguard stated, "We’re always prepared. We always make sure that we know what to do no matter what the scenario is."

Sources

Notable Quotes

  • "I’m just very grateful that [with] everything we followed, it worked out and that [the boy] actually is able to have a life and come home to a family."
  • "Heroes!! I am grateful to learn just how well-trained beach lifeguards are,"