By Charles Weber, April 21, 2019 — When I was 15 years old, I got a job as a lifeguard on Fire Island, New York. I had this job from when I was 15 to about when I was 22. My family and me had a summerhouse, which was one of the first houses built on the island. During the summers lifeguarding, I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in and me and the other lifeguards would wake up at the crack of dawn to workout and swim.
One day something unexpected and really frightening happened while I was on the job. The day started off like any other day, but what happened later during this day I had never encountered in my previous experience. People on the beach informed me that a woman was heading into the water to commit suicide. My adrenaline kicked in and I ran into the water to stop her from drowning herself and pulled her back inland. It was one of the scariest experiences I had as a lifeguard, but I truly enjoyed saving people’s lives and having such an important job when I was younger. It’s always been in my blood to help others and save lives and to this day I still find myself getting involved in things like the Red Cross to help and support others in need while saving lives.
My lifeguarding job also led me to cross paths with your grandmother. At the time, your grandmother was modeling for Ford Modeling Agency and was staying in a house in Fire Island with all of her modeling friends. I met them all one day at the beach and my lifeguard friends and her friends started to hang out more often. Out of all the girls, I thought your grandmother was the most beautiful and I really enjoyed spending time with her. However, at the time, she was engaged to a wealthy doctor. I would always ask her when she’d ever give me a chance and she wouldn’t give me an answer until one day she finally did. Spending summers as a lifeguard in Fire Island is one of my fondest memories and truly lead me to the love of my life.