SCARBOROUGH, Maine — People like Greg Wilfert would just rather be at the beach. He has worked at Scarborough Beach State Park since 1972, first as a lifeguard and now as the park manager. More than 50 years in, it seems he has no plans to leave.
"My theme song is Hotel California: 'You can check out anytime, but you can never leave,'" Wilfert joked.
Over time, Wilfert has grown to appreciate the importance of water safety. He said since he began working at the state park, there have been more than 1,000 water rescues. And these days, he said, it's more difficult to find lifeguards who are in the job for the long haul.
"With kids going to college now – your second year, you’re interning. You only get them three years of high school and two years of college, so there's a lot of turnover," Wilfert said.
That's where two recent hires come in: Newfoundlands Beacon and Buoy.
Beacon became the first dog in the United States to serve as a lifeguard on a public beach, Wilfert said last year. Now, younger pup Buoy is training this year, following in her footsteps.
"She’s in some ways ahead of where Beacon was at the same age because she has been able to train with Beacon," Wilfert said, noting Buoy is 11 months old.
Wilfert said these dogs are almost built for this kind of work. They have large paws and don't do a doggy paddle. Instead, they use almost a kind of breaststroke when swimming. Their mouth shape also allows water to filter easily in and out through the sides of their jaw. Plus, their coats are warm and keep them insulated.
These dogs are trained through the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue. When they respond to crisis situations, they wait until a first lifeguard has jumped into the water. They then act as a second responder, going into the ocean with another lifeguard. The Newfoundlands pull the two lifeguards and the victim back to shore.
"The most decorated [Newfoundland] in Canada saved 92 people on a cruise ship," Wilfert said.
Wilfert said his 16 human lifeguards all work with Beacon and Buoy and seem to enjoy it. That's something employee Ethan Schulz can attest to. Schulz is going on his third summer at the state park and works there five days a week.
"It’s getting more and more fun each year," Schulz said.
Schulz said more people tend to stop by the lifeguard stand now to pet the dogs. In turn, they learn a little more about the beaches.
"Everyone will come up, and it just starts a conversation. At some point, it gets to the point where people will ask questions like, ‘Hey, what are the places we should look out for?’" Schulz said.
Wilfert said people have traveled from out of state to come see Beacon and Buoy. You can, too, since the dogs are at the state park pretty much every single day during the summer. Wilfert said they only leave one day a month to go get groomed.
This story has been updated to reflect Greg Wilfert's last name is Wilfert, not Wilfret, as originally reported.