Surfers in Daytona Beach said a final goodbye to a man who helped protect the beach and its swimmers.

Friends and family gathered at the Main Street Pier to honor retired lifeguard Chris Wood.

Wood, who spent years as a lifeguard along the Volusia County coast, died last month at the age of 60.

Surfers and lifeguards held a paddle-out ceremony.

Others tossed flowers into the ocean from the end of the pier.

Wood first became a lifeguard in Volusia County in 1974, according to his obituary.

He was described as someone who loved to surf and swim.