37 Photos
Helene Fallon, Ciara McKeon's godmother, places items on the lifeguard stand. DREW BUDD
The lifeguard stand dedicated to Ciara McKeon. DREW BUDD
This plaque lies in the middle of the lifeguard stand at the Ponquogue Beach Pavilion in Hampton Bays dedicated to Ciara McKeon, a former Southampton Town Lifeguard who died in February 2022. DREW BUDD
"The Eternal Watch" stands just next to the lifeguard stand dedicated to Ciara McKeon. DREW BUDD
Paul Bass, a Southampton Town lifeguard himself who also saw Ciara McKeon within the halls of Westhampton Beach High School, takes in the lifeguard stand dedicated to her. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Parks Director Kristen Doulos, left, and Southampton Town Council member Cynthia McNamara address the crowd, mostly friends, family and lifeguards, with a short ceremony dedicating a lifeguard stand to Ciara McKeon. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Parks Director Kristen Doulos, left, and Southampton Town Council member Cynthia McNamara address the crowd, mostly friends, family and lifeguards, with a short ceremony dedicating a lifeguard stand to Ciara McKeon. DREW BUDD
The Mike Diveris Battle of Southampton Lifeguard Tournament was held at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays on Thursday, July 13. DREW BUDD
Sean Crowley, one half of Southampton Town's chief lifeguards, goes over some ground rules prior to last week's competition. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town's lifeguards just prior to competition kicking off last week. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Parks Director Kristen Doulos and town council member Cynthia McNamara address the lifeguards one last time to honor retiring lifeguard Paul Bass.
The lifeguards give Paul Bass a round of applause for his years of service to the profession. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Council member Cynthia McNamara shows Paul Bass the proclamation from the town. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Parks Director Kristen Doulos, left, with Southampton Town Councilmember Cynthia McNamara and Southampton Town lifeguard Paul Bass. DREW BUDD
Lifeguards just prior to competition. DREW BUDD
Led by assistant chief Dave Riley, Southampton Town Ocean Rescue takes out its new jet ski to patrol the waters just off Ponquogue Beach. DREW BUDD
Billy Malone of the Southampton Village lifeguards won the distance run. DREW BUDD
Kaila Gagne of the West Women lifeguards won the distance run. DREW BUDD
Southampton Village lifeguard Billy Malone prepares for the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Assistant Chief Lifeguard Dave Riley radios the Ocean Rescue jet ski team. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Chief Lifeguard Sean Crowley. DREW BUDD
Kaila Gagne pulls the landline for the west women. DREW BUDD
The West Women come ashore in the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
Evie Purcell gets ready for the surf rescue paddle relay. DREW BUDD
Guards take off the in the surf rescue paddle relay. DREW BUDD
Jack Duryea comes out of the water in the surf rescue paddle relay. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town Chief Lifeguard Ann Naughton. DREW BUDD
Ciara McKeon
Southampton Town guards come ashore in the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
Southampton Town guards come ashore in the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
This year's t-shirts said "Ciara" on the back, remembering former Southampton Town lifeguard Ciara McKeon. DREW BUDD
Lifeguard Dan Garvey draws the line in the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
Lifeguard Ryan Duca pulls the line in the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
Lifeguard Ryan Duca pulls the line in the landline rescue. DREW BUDD
Hana Heavey paddles herself to shore in the surf rescue paddle relay. DREW BUDD
Ciara McKeon now has a place to always keep watch on the waters and over her fellow lifeguards at what was once one of her favorite locations, Ponquogue Beach.
Just prior to the annual Mike Diveris Memorial Battle of Southampton Lifeguard Tournament in Hampton Bays on Thursday, July 13, Southampton Town unveiled a corner of the Ponquogue Beach Pavilion near the west side staircase dedicated to McKeon, the former town guard who was killed after being struck by an SUV in the parking lot of the Florida high school where she taught in February 2022. On the smaller version of a typical lifeguard stand lies a plaque with McKeon’s name that underneath reads, “Child of the tides returned to the sea. We miss you. We love you.” Beside the stand is another placard, “The Eternal Watch,” that is in remembrance of Town of Southampton lifeguards.
The unveiling was well attended by friends, family and former coworkers and teachers of McKeon. Included were McKeon’s parents, John and Val McKeon, her godparents, Helene and Mike Fallon, as well as Southampton Town Chief Lifeguards Ann Naughton and Sean Crowley, and Gail Diveris, wife of the late Mike Diveris, whom the competition is now named after. Also in attendance, and who led the short ceremony, was Southampton Town Parks Director Kristen Doulos and Southampton Town Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara.
Doulos said the idea to have something dedicated to McKeon was sparked last summer when there was a planning of a celebration of life for her. There are already numerous items, such as benches, that are dedicated to other lifeguards who have died, Doulos said, and with no plans to add more benches to the pavilion, the idea for the lifeguard stand came about.
“To ensure that there would be a place to honor and remember Ciara and those lifeguards who are no longer physically with us, we wanted to provide a centralized memorial to show our respect for their service and honor their special connection with the sea,” she explained. “If you know lifeguards, you know that it’s not just a job, but something that is part of their DNA. So we thought it would be fitting to have a scaled down replica of the lifeguard stand looking out toward the ocean, always keeping watch.”
After the ceremony, nearly everyone in attendance made the quick walk down to the beach where the lifeguard competition was held. But there was one more order of business before the action got underway.
Doulos took to the megaphone to honor, probably much to his surprise, Paul Bass, who after 48 years of service to Southampton Town, is retiring from lifeguarding at the end of the summer. McNamara then had a few words and presented Bass with a proclamation from the town.
Competition, which features lifeguards from Cupsogue east to Scott Cameron, got underway with the distance swim and distance run, which went off simultaneously. The swim was dominated by the west guards, with Dave Riley winning the men’s swim and Bella Mugno winning the women’s swim. Southampton Village lifeguard Billy Malone won the men’s run as Kaila Gagne of the west women won the women’s run.
From that point forward, though, the rest of the competition was more or less dominated by the East Men, who went on to win four separate events to become overall winner of this year’s competition. Nicky Badilla, Jack and Ryan Duryea and Ryan Duca won the landline rescue; Jack and Ryan Duryea and Dan Garvey won the surf rescue paddle relay; Ryan and Jack Duryea and Nicky Badilla won the run-swim-run; and Jack Duryea won everybody’s favorite, the beach flags, to round out the competition.
The Southampton Village lifeguards had a good showing, finishing one win shy of an overall victory. Billy Malone, Griffin Schwartz, Ray Sweeney and Emmett Wetter won the 4x100 sand relay, and Patrick Mathews and Gavin Johnston won the board rescue race.
While Danielle Cassidy of the East Women guards was the overall winner of the women’s beach flags, the West Women were overall winners of the event thanks to Lizzie Knierieman and Kaila Gagne taking second and third place, respectively. The men’s beach flags had a good representation of beaches. While Jack Duryea of the East Men won, Conor Grauer of the West Men placed second and Southampton Village’s Ray Sweeney placed third.
Last week’s competition is a lead-up to two events: The East Hampton Town Main Beach competition, which is next Thursday, July 27, and more of a regional event that brings guards in from up the island as well as local; and the United States Lifesaving Association’s National Lifeguard Championships, which are August 9-12 in Virginia Beach.
