Virginia Beach lifeguards ready May 20

Virginia Beach officials said on May 19 that lifeguards were in place for Memorial Day weekend as the city shifts into its summer beach schedule along the oceanfront. Local television station WTKR reported that the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service said it was prepared for another summer season and urged visitors to swim near staffed stands. Tom Gill of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service told WTKR that the holiday weekend means more lifeguards on the beach and more coverage for families entering the water. “For any calls via 911, we’re available for it all,” Gill said, according to the report. ### When do the guarded beaches start operating? Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the city’s seasonal lifeguard schedule, according to Virginia Beach’s beach rules and safety page. (wtkr.com) The city says lifeguards are on duty at the Oceanfront, Sandbridge and Croatan from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The North End is patrolled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the same seasonal period, the city says. (wtkr.com) That means visitors heading to stretches outside the main resort area may see different coverage hours than at the central oceanfront. ### Where are officials telling people to swim? WTKR’s report centered on a basic message from the lifesaving service: put your family in front of a lifeguard. (cvb.virginiabeach.gov) Gill told the station that the increase in staffing for the holiday weekend is meant to give beachgoers more protected places to enter the water. Virginia Beach’s official safety page also directs visitors to follow posted rules and use guarded areas. (cvb.virginiabeach.gov) The city lists beach ambassadors, public restrooms and other visitor services along the resort area as part of its summer beach operations. ### What rules are in effect once people get in the water? Virginia Beach says swimmers must stay within 50 yards of the shore. (wtkr.com) That requirement appears on the city’s beach rules page alongside other oceanfront regulations for the summer season. The city also bans public consumption of alcohol, marijuana and illegal drugs on the beach and boardwalk, and it prohibits glass containers except for permitted special events. (cvb.virginiabeach.gov) Other restrictions cover where bicycles, surreys and roller skates may be used. ### What other safety measures are visible this season? Virginia Beach said in a 2025 city post that it installed more than 60 dual-language beach safety signs in English and Spanish on lifeguard stands and at beach access points. (cvb.virginiabeach.gov) The signs were developed by Virginia Beach EMS, the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service and the U.S. Coast Guard to reach more visitors and residents. That signage remains part of the city’s broader beach-safety setup as holiday traffic begins to build. The city’s public guidance ties those signs to the same Memorial Day-to-Labor Day beach season now getting underway. ### What should visitors check before heading out? The city’s beach rules page is the main public source for lifeguard hours, access information and seasonal restrictions. (virginiabeach.gov) WTKR’s May 19 report said the lifesaving service was ready for Memorial Day weekend crowds, and the city says guarded operations continue through Labor Day weekend. (wtkr.com)