Unusual discovery: Ship Bottom lifeguard stand washes up on Delaware beach

Police in Fenwick Island, Delaware say the stand was found Monday.

Toniann Antonelli

Sep 25, 2024, 10:38 AM

Updated 13 days ago

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It's not unusual for strange items to wash up on beaches along the East Coast, but police that patrol a shore town in Delaware recently came across an object from New Jersey that was unlike the usual debris that makes its way to the shore.
A tall, red lifeguard stand washed up on a Fenwick Island, Delaware beach Monday, according to a Facebook post from police in that community. A picture shows the stand looking weathered, but in otherwise decent condition. It traveled at least 100 miles in the Atlantic Ocean from the middle of Long Beach Island before it was found.
The Fenwick Island Police Department posted a picture of the lifeguard stand as part of a "Trivia Tuesday" post.
"Yesterday, this lifeguard stand washed-up on the beach. Who can name the town where it came from," police asked.
Guesses ranged from various beaches in Delaware to Cape May and even Ireland. Eventually, the department revealed answer.
"Thank you everyone for guessing," police said in the post. "The lifeguard stand is from Ship Bottom, NJ."
It's unclear how long the stand was in the water or if lifeguards in Ship Bottom knew it was missing. Lifeguard season has ended on most New Jersey beaches.
The discovery comes about a week after beaches in parts of Delaware were closed due to medical waste washing up, causing temporary beach closures.