A lifeguard shortage will keep the popular pool at Pocomoke River State Park closed this summer, officials announced recently.

Only one person applied since the job advertisement went up in February, said ranger Marc Heim. He would need at least three guards, but ideally as many as six, to open the pool safely. He said he wasn’t sure why there was so little interest this year.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” said Heim, who manages the Worcester County park on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. “It is a treasure for our community as well as for our campers.”

The park draws about 41,000 visitors a year, according to a 2023 Maryland Office of Tourism report.

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The L-shaped, Olympic-sized pool opened in the 1960s along with the park. It has a diving board and depths ranging from 3 to 12 feet. Entry was free for campers and veterans and $6 for others.

In years past, the pool’s lifeguard positions have mostly been filled by high school students, said Heim, who added that the job would have paid $17.35 an hour. He vowed to attempt to reopen the pool next summer and hopes this year’s struggles are a blip.

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“I’m fully confident we can track down the lifeguards needed next year,” Heim said. “We would like to have it open again for the public.”