[drcoastline]

I'm an ex guard in Wildwood, NJ. I'm not sure what the actual situation was that kept the guards from performing a rescue? From what I read the surf was rough, the tide was going out (possible under tow) and there was a rock wall, but the girl had a boogie board so it doesn't seem there was an immediate danger of drowning and it seems the out going tide would have kept her away from the wall so no danger to the guards. That being said the conditions don't seem insurmountable for a safe successful rescue from a competent beach patrol. I can tell you on our beach (back when I was a guard 25 years ago) there would have been several guards in the water and at least one life boat pulling a rescue line from a shore based vehicle with a winch. After reaching the girl the guards would calm her and wait for the boat if she was a ways out (if close to shore and conditions permitted one guard would hold her and several other guards would swim them back). Otherwise the boat would hand off the line to the guards and the shore based vehicle would winch them in. If the waves or under tow were sever enough the girl would be placed in the boat and rowed back to sure. The guards would be towed in by the winch. Now a days even though there are still life boats much of the life boat activity is now handled by wave-runners for speed.

I think there is more to the story.

Edit- I'm thinking the patrol was keeping people out of the water and away ( which is protocol) to keep from having additional victims. Especially if there is an under tow and from getting in the way of a rescue.