Thursday, October 1, 2026
Four generations of the Featherstone family has patrolled the shorelines of Long Beach as lifeguards and this year marked their centennial.
The family’s legacy began at the intersection of Lafayette Boulevard and Olive Street in 1921. Jack Dawson, the uncle of Keith Featherstone, bought property from the Sinclair family, who owned Sinclair Oil and Gasoline. Featherstone ‘s uncle, along with his father, Charles Featherstone served as Long Beach Lifeguards.
The Dawson and Charles Featherstone were some of the first city lifeguards to sport the first Long Beach Lifeguard bracelets in 1925. The family developed a deep affection for both the city and the beach. And in 1948, their family grew when Keith was born.
“[I was] born in ‘48, on the beach in ‘49,” Dawson-Featherstone joked as he recalled his family’s history.
Asked about lifeguarding and how it has transformed over the years, Dawson-Featherstone described today’s workouts as “harder.” To qualify to serve the community, lifeguards are required to swim 100 yards in a pool, as well as run a half-mile–both within a designated time. With respect to mental “workouts,” lifeguards are also required to be Grade III Ocean Certified by Nassau County and certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for professional rescuers.
During Featherstone’s lifeguarding career, they used to do what are called “rock runs.” Guards would swim up to the jetty, climb over the rocks and then resume swimming.
“The training was great,” he said of the workouts during the 1960s.
Featherstone gave praise to the current mastermind behind the training, John Scuden, saying that he’s the best trainer and “he cares.”
In the 1990s, Featherstone’s daughters — Jennifer and Megan — went on duty as the next lifeguards in the family. Like him, his daughters would be tasked with going door-to-door selling raffle tickets with the proceeds supporting the lifeguards work and also served as a way for them to connect with the community, and “let people meet and see you,” he said.
During that time Jennifer met her husband, Rob McWilliams, and had triplet sons: Aidan, Quinn and Kieran McWilliams. The family’s lifeguarding legacy continues on with the brothers. The legacy seems to have been created organically as Featherstone said that there wasn’t pressure to mold a dynasty, however there was familial motivation.
“[My] father pushed me, and my daughters pushed the sons,” he said in reference to family support.
Along with the physical challenges of lifeguarding, the sentinels of the sand also need to have personal skills to maintain positive relationships with the beachgoers they are charged with keeping safe.
“You have to be self aware and be able to put up with attitude,” Featherstone said of dealing with difficult beachgoers. “They look at you as a tool. They don’t pay attention.”
In the 1960s, he moved on from lifeguarding to pursue full-time work with New York Telephone. The company is known today as Verizon.
“He was placed in charge of installing communications equipment for the Long Beach Patrol,” Michael Delury, a lifelong friend of the Featherstones, said.
Under Featherstone’s supervision, the beach trenches would be dug from the late‘60s through the late ‘80s.
“Keep your head out of the water,” is the simple advice he passes on to his family of lifeguards.
