SALISBURY BEACH — As the summer beach season is winding down, so are the careers of Salisbury Beach's two head lifeguards, who are leaving the reservation this week.
While lifeguard supervisor George Nigro is heading back to his teaching roots, his second-in-command, Fletcher Wasson, is, with any luck, heading to the wild blue skies.
Between them, they have more than 30 years of experience keeping the waters off Salisbury safer for the thousands who flock to the pristine beaches each season.
Nigro, 51, says that after 27 years as a lifeguard, he's come to the realization that it's time to move on and spend more time with his wife and son. The tall, lanky Nigro is a wellness/physical education teacher and swim coach at Haverhill High School and has been teaching in Haverhill schools for more than 15 years.
"The older I'm getting, the more I realize I need to spend more time with my son," Nigro says, sitting at a picnic table outside the new lifeguard station building.
Nigro has been head lifeguard at the Department of Conversation and Recreation's lifeguard station for 11 years. He was in charge of the station's 21 full-time lifeguards and two part-timers. Nigro thanked park supervisor Mike Magnifico for giving him the opportunity to become a head lifeguard.
Nigro, who lives in Hampstead, N.H., says he will miss the lifeguards he has been leading this summer and all the lifeguards and staff he has worked with over the years.
"Being part of something that we've all worked hard at to make special," Nigro says. "But I have another phase to pursue. It's time; it's time for me."
As a way of saying thanks to Nigro, co-workers and former workers last Friday threw him a retirement party. As part of the festivities, a plaster shark head was molded and then signed by current and former lifeguards.
Nigro's baptism into the world of a lifeguard came two years into his career when he and other lifeguards tried to rescue a lobsterman whose boat flipped over in 12-foot-tall surf. It took about 15 minutes for lifeguards to pull the lobsterman, still wearing wading boots and heavy clothes, from the water. By the time the man was brought to shore, it was too late. The man never regained consciousness before his heart stopped.
"It was hard on all of us," Nigro says.
As to who will be taking over the lifeguard station's two top spots, it may be a while until a decision is reached, Nigro says. The DCR is in charge of hiring replacements, but Nigro and Wasson are hoping officials hire from within.
Newburyporter heads to Navy
At 23 years old, Wasson isn't going to be thrown a retirement party anytime soon. Instead, the Newburyport resident will be heading to the U.S. Navy's Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., where he hopes to pursue his dream of flying fighter jets.
"He's the best assistant I've ever had," Nigro says. "And I've been here (as head lifeguard) 11 years."
Wasson graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 2009 and was recently accepted into the Navy's aviation program. Should he complete the three-month-long program, he would then report to flight school in Pensacola, Fla., for two years of training.
"Hopefully, I'll be a pilot if I don't get injured or something," Wasson says. "I'll fly whatever they give me."
Wasson says coming back to Salisbury Beach each summer for the last five years helped recharge his batteries after a stressful school year.
Wasson chuckles after being reminded that he could endure something similar to what Richard Gere's character endured in "An Officer and a Gentleman," during that classic 1980s film.
"He'll be fine. He's looking forward to the challenge," Nigro chimes in.
Wasson said his most memorable rescue took place in 2008 when Westford resident Paul Paquette had a heart attack while walking along the beach. Wasson, a trained emergency medical technician, along with other rescue personnel, was able to revive the man by shocking him with a defibrillator three times and then performing CPR for 15 minutes.
"He still comes by every year to say 'thanks,'" Wasson says.
Wasson says he will miss the camaraderie and social aspects to the job, which he called a definite perk.
"There's a lot of core people who have been here a long time," Wasson says. "You get really close to them."
Wasson says he will also miss having a job that allows him to walk around all day without wearing shoes and a shirt.
"Being able to go to work without a shirt on is probably the best thing in the entire world," Wasson says with a beaming smile.
Wasson and Nigro genuinely seem to enjoy working together, as the two have no problem making playful jabs at each other.
When asked to name the goofiest aspect about Nigro, Wasson says his boss rambles a lot.
"Same story over and over again," Wasson says.
Nigro counters by saying Wasson's "mommy brings him lunch."
"Occasionally!" Wasson exclaims, adding that what mother wouldn't want to visit a beautiful beach from time to time.
"We get along; that's why we work well," Nigro says. "We both have the best interest of this place."
