Lifeguard performs water rescue at New Suffolk Beach

Monday, July 21, was an especially nice afternoon at the New Suffolk Beach — temperatures in the mid-80s, just a bit cloudy, tide going out with the current running to the east.

The latter turned out to be a problem for members of the Kord family, at least until a local lifeguard dove in to save the day.

Denise Kord and her 23-year-old daughter, Laura, were cruising along on their paddleboard, with 16-year-old Liam accompanying them in a one-person kayak. Everything was fine, until the current began to carry the kayak away from shore and to the east.

“I could see my kid didn’t have the strength to paddle,” Denise Kord said later. “I’m a mom. I called for help and jumped in the water.”

The call was heard about 50 yards away in the lifeguard chair, where Jaden Olsen, a junior at Fairfield University, and his brother Kyan, a junior at Southold High School, were on duty.  

“I could see the kayak had flipped over and that the lady was in distress,” said Mr. Olsen. “I went out and helped her back in, and everyone else was able to make their way back.”

Kyan, meanwhile, retrieved the overturned kayak and paddleboard, both about 20 feet off the beach.

The Kord family are from Abingdon, Md., and have family in Mattituck. They’ve been vacationing on the North Fork for years.

For Mr. Olsen, this was his first save as a lifeguard. “It felt great to actually do my job,” he said, as he and his brother continued to scan the water. A few yards away, the Kord family packed up after an eventful day at the beach.