Water Safety: Shift Lifeguarding At A Local Swimming Pool

Water Safety
It was a hot summer day, and I was working a shift lifeguarding at a local swimming pool. I was taking my break in the staff room when I heard the alarm signal on the radios we use to communicate go off. Rushing outside immediately, I spotted my coworker Sam in the pool rescuing a small child. Fortunately, there were two guards on the pool at that time, so it was still being guarded. I went over to see if Sam needed help, and when I saw that it was handled, I took her spot on the guard stand so she could fill out an incident report and talk to the parents. Thankfully, the child was okay and didn’t seem too distressed about what had taken place. Sam later explained to me that the kid, who was about three years old, walked down the steps of the pool while his parents weren’t paying attention and stepped too deep, so he couldn’t stand. Since he was at a pool that was being lifeguarded, everything turned out okay. But there are many situations where a child could fall into deep water and go unnoticed, and the outcome would likely be much more horrific. This is why I think it is important that all kids at least have some basic water safety skills taught to them.
It is fairly simple to teach young kids how to be comfortable in the water. It’s easiest to do this in a pool with a shallow end. Before I start teaching the kids, I …show more content…
Fortunately the incident occurred in guarded pool, but many accidents can happen without the security of a lifeguard around. If a child is taught how to float and be comfortable in water they can’t stand in, they will have a much higher chance of not drowning. Swimming is an important life skill, and if they child is comfortable in water it will be much easier for them to learn later on. The process of a child getting comfortable with the water can take time and effort, but in the end it’s definitely worth