Thanks to the kindness of lifeguards, a 95-year-old woman in a wheelchair had an amazing vacation on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
Dottie Schneider had been looking forward to her trip from Chandler, Indiana to Orange Beach, Alabama for months — but when she and her daughter Kimberly Waterbury got to the beach, Kimberly had trouble pushing Dottie’s wheelchair through the sand.
That’s when the lifeguard on duty stepped in to help, offering to drive Dottie down the beach in an ATV before picking her up and placing her directly in her chair.
Dottie Schneider was visiting Orange Beach in Alabama from Indiana. She received some assistance from the lifeguards to help her get into her beach chair.
AL.com reports that Kimberly was struggling to push her mother’s wheelchair through the sand outside the Holiday Inn Express where they were staying on their first day of vacation.
Shane Martin, the lifeguard on duty with Orange Beach Surf Rescue, noticed their problem and drove over in an ATV to offer help.
Soon, he was driving her along the sand on his ATV before picking up her and placing her under an umbrella.
Shane and other lifeguards continued to pick Dottie from her hotel and take her to her beach chair over the next four days.
‘Our guards have been instructed to try to help people out if they’re having a tough time,’ Brett Lesinger, beach safety division chief for Orange Beach,’ said.
He also said that he told Dottie to “holler if you feel the sun is too much.”
Dottie’s mother was struggling to push her wheelchair on the sand. Lifeguards took Dottie on an ATV ride and then lifted her up to place her in her chair.
Kimberly stated that it was overwhelming. They were faithful. They were there. It made my mom’s whole trip.’
Kimberly had only planned to spend two or three days at sea with her mom, but she ended up spending five days with the lifeguards.
They refused to accept tips and told the women that all they needed was to watch her smile.
Kimberly described it as magical and compared it to Disney World.
We are forever grateful for the Orange Beach Surf Rescue team. She broke down in tears, saying that they made my mother feel special. She said, “She wasn’t made to feel like she was a burden on anyone.”
Last week, Orange Beach Surf Rescue posted about Dottie on Facebook.
They wrote that Lifeguards are public servants, and they couldn’t be happier to provide this service.
We are forever grateful for Orange Beach Surf Rescue. Dottie’s daughter stated that they made her mother feel special.
Orange Beach Surf Rescue posted a Facebeook post about Dottie last week. The post went viral with thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
‘Ms. Dottie Schneider visited Orange Beach recently at the age 95 to enjoy the beach, but was unable to walk on her own.
“Everyday for one week, lifeguards would meet with Ms. Dottie and her families to assist her down to the beach chairs. Then at days end, they would take her back to her condo. The family thanked them for their assistance and provided a fridge with food at week’s end.
The post has been shared thousands of times, liked and commented on.
“What a beautiful thing these young people did. Bless them for the joy they brought to the lady’s family. “Thank you for your kindness,” wrote one.
“What a wonderful way for Miss Dottie to be able to enjoy the beach. It was a wonderful gesture of compassion and service! May you all be blessed as she was a blessing to you! One other.