Rehoboth Beach Patrol names award winners

As the summer season nears its close, the Rehoboth Beach Patrol has recognized several staff members for their leadership, lifesaving skills, and athleticism.

A five-year member of the beach patrol, Lt. Jake Pangle, of Camden, Delaware, was voted by his colleagues as the 2021 Lifeguard of the Year.

“Jake is a ‘walk the walk, talk the talk’ kind of leader,” says Rehoboth Beach Patrol Captain Jeff Giles. He notes that Pangle has demonstrated confidence, reliability, empathy, dedication, and an ability to work and connect with the public and his colleagues. “He exemplifies what we want in the Rehoboth Beach Patrol,” Giles adds.

Two lifeguards received Jeff Cannon Lifesaving Awards for their assistance to a man who was motionless in the water and losing consciousness after striking his head on the bottom of the ocean floor July 6. Alicia Lenoir, of Wilmington, and James Kramer, of Dover, were able to bring the man out of the water and call for immediate medical attention.

Rookie guard and Villanova University student James Klein, of Ramsey, New Jersey, won a $1,000 Dave Reynolds scholarship based on the essay he wrote on what it means to be a part of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol.

Rookie of the Year honors went to Bryon Rimmer of Hatfield, Pennsylvania. Rimmer earned the honor by obtaining the highest score in the annual Rookie Test, a two-day, 10-event competition among this year’s 22 rookies. Rimmer, a sophomore at the State University of New York’s Maritime College, aspires to join the U.S. Navy in special warfare operations. The Rookie of the Year competition has been a Rehoboth Beach Patrol tradition since 1975.