A Look Back at Ocean City
By Fred Miller
“Guards Named To Hall of Fame” was the headline in the September 1, 1975 The Press of Atlantic City. The article included a statement from Mark Soifer, Ocean City Public Relations Director: “This year’s lifeguards decided to honor past members of the beach patrol. Over the years the beach patrol here has been the leader in Cape May County for winning lifeguard competition. The guards wanted to honor the men who had previously served and who had given the Ocean City Beach Patrol a glorious history.”
Captain George T. Lafferty presented plaques to the first members of Hall of Fame: T. John Carey (1926-1937), Tom Oves (1951-1964), and Dick Thieler (1958-1971).
On August 14, 2021, OCBP Alumni directors Jack Brooks and Vince Hink inducted Erin Curry, Stephanie Hauck, Jeff Garbutt, and Matt Garbutt into the Hall of Fame.
Since 1975, a total of 111 lifeguards have become members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol Hall of Fame.
