Samuel Shea has lived in Gulf Shores since he was 8.

He recently returned from working the winter in Colorado to working here in his dad’s carpet cleaning and water restoration business.

And, the 22-year-old Gulf Shores High School graduate was looking forward to the summer.

“When I came back from Colorado, I got a crib down at West Beach and I thought things would be real tight,” Shea said. “Then the spill came and there’s no tourists. I’m still right across the street.

“I go to the beach every day.”

Shea took one of the beach-cleaning jobs for the better pay.

“I feel like it’s my beach and I want to come down and clean it up,” he said.

He can weather the searing heat and series of safety alerts that dictate how long they can work before taking required breaks.

“Today it was a scorcher,” he said Tuesday. “Drinking lots of water, keeping hydrated.

This week crews are expected to face the hottest temperatures of the summer.