Lifeguards Make 95-Year-Old's Vacation 'Magical' by Carrying Her to the Beach Each Day
A group of Alabama lifeguards are being praised as "heroes" after giving 95-year-old Dottie Schneider the vacation of a lifetime.
According to her daughter, Kimberly, Schneider hasn't been able to walk since she suffered a stroke four years ago, reported AL.com. So when the mother-daughter pair, who live in Chandler, Indiana, planned the trip to Orange Beach, Alabama, Kimberly wanted to make sure that her mom's dream, of feeling her toes in the sand, came true.
When they arrived, however, logistics posed a challenge. First, Kimberly tried to navigate Schneider's wheelchair through the sand, despite suffering from a bad wrist of her own.
That's when lifeguards from Orange Beach Surf Rescue decided to intervene. The lifeguard on duty, Shane Martin, approached the duo in a vehicle and offered his assistance, reported AL.com. Soon after Kimberly explained their situation, Martin helped Schneider into the vehicle and drove to a section of the beach equipped with lounge chairs and umbrellas.
"Lifeguards are public servants and we could not be happier to help provide this service," explained the organization in a now-viral Facebook post.
But the kind gesture didn't end there. Every day for a week, lifeguards would carry the 79-pound Schneider to the beach chairs. Then, at the end of the day, they would carry back to where she and her daughter were staying.
"They were faithful," said Kimberly to AL.com. "It made my mom's whole trip."
Despite being on hospice care, Schneider "wants to go back" to Orange Beach, reported her daughter. "I can't wait to go back," Kimberly added. "It was magical."
According to the Surf Rescue team's now-viral post, Schneider and her daughter, "The family thanked [them]...with a fridge full of food at the end of the week."
Photos from the beach—which can be viewed here—showed the frail-looking Schneider being gently carried and placed in a beach chair. Another showed her relaxing in her lounge chair, surrounded by the helpful lifeguards.
The story appears to have left readers moved: the post has amassed 11,000 reactions and about the same number of shares. In the comments section, countless thanked the lifeguards for the "beautiful" and "kind" act.
"We were at the beach last week and were next to Ms. Dottie," wrote one commenter. "We watched them carefully transport her to and from her condo to her seat. They were so kind and caring with her."
"That is the kindest thing I've seen in a long time. So glad to see this," commented another. "Thank you to this group of caring young people."
Newsweek reached out to the Orange Beach Surf Rescue for comment.
