Lifeguards carry 95-year-old woman to beach every day for a week so she can enjoy her vacation

A group of lifeguards carry a 95-year-old woman to the beach every day for a whole week, so she can enjoy her vacation. The lifeguards at an Alabama beach went beyond the call of duty to ensure Dottie Schneider had a good vacation during her stay near Orange beach. The lifeguards are being praised for their act of kindness and looking out for the elderly woman. Schneider, who hails from Chandler, Indiana, had come for a vacation along with her daughter, Kimberly Waterbury, to the Gulf Coast this October. Schneider's plans to relax on the beach hit a snag when she realized there was no way to use a wheelchair to get to the beachfront. Walking wasn't an option for Schneider but thankfully for her, a lifeguard offered to help the vacationer to the beachfront, reported Fox News.

A lifeguard from the Beach Safety Division in the city of Orange beach had spotted Dottie Schneider along with her daughter Waterbury trying to figure out a way to get to the beachfront and stepped in to help. The guard offered her a ride in his beach patrol vehicle and took her to the beach where she relaxed. After speaking with Waterbury and Schneider, the guard realized that they were going to be there for a week. He offered her the field officer's number, so they could inform when they were ready to go on to the beach every morning and have a guard assist them. On some days, the guards carried Schneider to the beach, and pictures of the same went viral after being posted on Facebook by Orange Beach Surf Rescue.

"Lifeguards are public servants and we could not be happier to help provide this service. Ms. Dottie Schneider recently visited us here in Orange Beach at the age of 95 in hopes to enjoy the beach but was unable to walk through the sand on her own," read the post. "Every day for one week Lifeguards would meet Ms. Dottie and her family to help assist her down to her beach chairs, then at day's end escort her back to the condo."

"In the past, when they’d gone to the beach, she couldn’t get to the beachfront. They had to sit by the pool deck. Being able to put her feet in the sand and seeing the waves crash on the shore, I think that made all the difference," said Brett Lesinger, Beach Safety Division Chief in the City of Orange Beach. The lifeguards coordinated among themselves to pick her up at the hotel, and take the nonagenarian's chair set to the beach. Lifeguard Shane Martin took it upon to help them and arrived at the hotel when they were ready four days in a row, always greeting them with a big smile on his face. After the family's vacation, the guards gathered to say goodbyes to Schneider and her family. Waterbury was overwhelmed with the care meted out to her 95-year-old mother. "We are forever indebted to the guys with Orange Beach Surf Rescue," Waterbury told AL.com. "They made my mother feel special. She was not made to feel like she was a burden on anybody."

While it made Schneider feel special and cared for, the lifeguards said it was just another day at the office for them. Division chief Lesinger said Schneider reminded lifeguard Shane Martin of one of his grandparents. The Orange Beach Surf Rescue Facebook said the "family thanked us in return with a fridge full of food at the end of the week." Many lauded the lifeguards for stepping up to help the elderly person. "That is so awesome! Thank you guys for showing compassion to our elders! I hope Ms. Dottie enjoyed her beach trip!" wrote Crystal Craven. Kristy Sullivan testified that it wasn't the first time the guards had gone beyond the call of duty to help others. "Bless you all. That is precious and I am certain your kindness meant the world to Ms. Dottie. Several of you have assisted me in the past, when my adult son, Taylor (who has severe autism and epilepsy), suffered seizures on the beach and I was unable to move him to my truck by myself. You all have treated him with compassion and respect, and you’ve been a Godsend each time we were in that difficult situation. Thank you for everything you do for our community and our visiting guests."