18-year-old swimmer drowns at Assateague Island weeks after request for more lifeguards
An 18-year-old man died while swimming at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland according to the National Park Service. The drowning death came weeks after senators urged the Trump administration to fill vacant lifeguard positions at Maryland's portion of the national park.
On Thursday, July 24, at around 4:15 p.m. local time, a relative of the victim "ran down the beach" to inform lifeguards that a pair of swimmers were well off the shore and "struggling in the water," the National Park Service stated in a press release.
The two were swimming at Chincotague Beach, around 145 miles southeast of Annapolis.
"Although the area of the incident is 150 yards south of the lifeguarded zone," the on-duty lifeguards quickly responded, the NPS said.
One swimmer was successfully rescued, but the other man was pulled out of the water unconscious and unresponsive and was administered CPR immediately. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival, according to NPS.
The names of the deceased victim and the swimmer he was with were not released.
Law enforcement from the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, contracted lifeguards, and the state of Virginia assisted with the search and rescue.
Senators asked for lifeguards in the area: 'Drownings happen in minutes'
Less than two weeks before the drowning, on July 11, 2025, U.S. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen sent a letter to the Trump administration requesting lifeguard positions in the Maryland portion of Assateague Island National Seashore to be filled after budget cuts and staffing shortages left them vacant, according to Delmarva Now, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
"Drownings happen in minutes, and there is no substitute for attentive lifeguards specifically assigned to monitoring water safety at Assateague," the letter stated.
The vacancy started in June 2025.
In the statement, the NPS reminded visitors to "never venture too far from shore and pay attention to wind and currents, which can transport you long distances quickly."
Contributing: Olivia Minzola, Salisbury Daily Times
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
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