Ocean City lifeguard chairs under attack

Lifeguard chairs in Ocean City are being buried, toppled and thrown out to sea.

Officials say since lifeguards went on duty May 29, several of the white stands have been vandalized each week -- sometimes up to six or seven a night.

Butch Arbin, captain of the Beach Patrol, says city carpenters can't fix the chairs as fast as they're being vandalized. He says groups of visiting high school or college graduates could be responsible.

Lt. Ward Kovacs says lifeguards are dangerously close to not having enough chairs for the resort's 9.5 miles of beaches. Kovacs also says it's almost impossible to replace chairs by the time lifeguards begin work at 10 a.m.

Dick Malone of Ocean City's Public Works Department says his crews have worked on about 30 repairs in the last four weeks.

--The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md.