WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue Team recently won a regional competition that hailed them as the best ocean rescue team in the Southeast. Soon, they’ll find out if they can do even better.
In July, the Wrightsville Beach team competed against 13 ocean rescue squads from Virginia to Florida and came out on top, boasting an impressive 140-point lead over the other teams, something that team captain Mo Peacock is very proud of.
“It’s a sign of a job well done. It feels good to be rewarded, I would say, by winning first place with this team,” Peacock said. “It showcases the quality of lifeguards and athletes that we have on this squad.”
Peacock, who is also a lieutenant for the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department, has been with the ocean rescue team for 12 years and has seen their dedication to success and safety firsthand.
“I believe that we have one of the best ocean rescues agencies on the East Coast,” Peacock said. “And maybe even the United States.”
And soon enough, they’ll find out if they are the best in the country. They’re heading to Hermosa Beach, California, to compete against 100 teams from every corner of the United States.
“When we’re competing, everything must be super in line and in place, on point, very quick, precise, so we just go and do a bunch of trainings over and over and just try to get everything lined up,” Peacock said. “And when we’re practicing that kind of stuff, it makes us better lifeguards out on the water as well.”
Although the competition can be intimidating, their 140-point lead at regionals is giving them an extra boost of confidence.
“I gauge my confidence obviously on our performance at regionals, but also these guys are super stoked about it,” Peacock said. “They’ve had a good time, they’ve put in a lot of training hours, the enthusiasm has carried over and motivation has increased since regionals, so it’s a great team to be a part of.”
These guards are a team through and through, and regardless of the outcome in California, they’ll be stronger for it.
“I’ve always loved serving my community, I enjoy being part of a team, and I feel like Wrightsville Beach is my home, and the people I work with are part of my extended family,” Peacock said. “There’s a bond of trust here like none other. We’ve gone through a lot of hardships together, ups and downs, whether it’s the stress of the job, doing day-to-day rescues, life circumstances that inevitably occur, but we all choose to go through these hardships together and we become stronger because of it.”
The national competition in California is this weekend.