It was the summer of ’66 when I got my first open water lifeguard job at Holiday Home Camp on the beautiful shores of Lake Geneva. This was the beginning of a career that lasted more than 35 years. Of course, being a lifeguard had its privileges. Every lifeguard since the beginning of time seems to have always had a girl. It was no different, especially in the summer of 1966. It was this particular summer that defined the character I would become. To really understand the career choice I made is to look back in history and see how lifeguards have evolved over the years.
When we talk about the evolution of lifeguards, we have to go back to the early 20th century, where resorts in places like Atlantic City and New Jersey were becoming meccas for tourists and beach lovers. As more people flocked to the beaches, the number of water-related accident incidents also increased and many people drowned. In the early 1900s, more than 9,000 people drowned each year in the United States. It was becoming clear that in order to prevent and reduce the number of water-related deaths and accidents, the movement was started to train people in protection against accidental drowning. Therefore, the term lifeguard was and continues to be associated with those specifically trained in water rescue. One of the first was Duke Kahanamoku, who was one of the original Hawaiian sailors, who introduced the rescue board between 1910 and 1915. It was Captain Harry Sheffield of South Africa who is credited with developing the first rescue float, which by the way is a variation of the original that is still used today.
But it was the YMCA, which had already introduced progressive swimming guidelines for learning to swim, that the National Rescue Service developed in 1912. This was followed by the Red Cross in 1914. Both organizations now developed their own specifically designed training programs. to train individuals not only to teach swimming but to be better equipped to provide assistance and perform rescues in the water. To become a lifeguard, one had to be a very competent swimmer to begin with, but was also trained in life-saving techniques that involved resuscitation. These trained people or lifeguards were now responsible for overseeing beach and pool facilities and all other water-related activities throughout the United States.
At first, lifeguard training programs primarily emphasized personal safety in the water – how to prevent drowning and protect yourself in emergencies. Rescue methods other than swimming, such as throwing a rope or floating object at the person in the water, were encouraged. Swimming was considered a last resort by lifeguards because of the danger posed by a panicked swimmer in the water. Until the mid-1970s lifeguard training, whether outside of the Red Cross or the YMCA, the rigors of qualifying just to be accepted to participate in lifeguard certification classes were very intense. I remember the swim test I took just to qualify for class in the early 1960s. The swim test was almost too difficult. Fortunately, even though he was a member of the swim team, he would never have passed through to get into the program otherwise. What we endured during weeks of intensive training in which we had to perform water rescues in any number of circumstances without any flotation coin using only our cunning and strength was a miracle that none of the trainees ever became a victim.
It was this training back then that prepared me for a career not only in pool supervision, but also in open water rescues. When I look at a typical pool lifeguard in the US today, I am struck by the lack of competition in swimming that most of today’s pool lifeguards have. But then I look at the lifeguards who say, in Australia, where their beach guards are literally amazing in their quick response to so many contingencies, whether people are caught in high tides or exposed to too much sun, they all highlight the rigorous training that they continue to go through. .
But, in the summer of ’66, my tenure as a lifeguard was virtually event-free thanks to my reliable whistle and quick assessment of people entering and exiting the water. Again, it was the training I received at the time that prepared me for the job at hand, which allowed me to have a safe summer with almost no events. I was never a really macho guy, but as a lifeguard I did offer some rewards. People looked to lifeguards because they are the ones there to safeguard their safety while on a boardwalk or in a swimming pool. Once again, I was no different.
It was during that summer that I realized my calling to speak with what I was destined to do. Ever since my father took me to old Irving Park And when I was little he exposed me to the wonderful world of water sports. Later, I developed a true awareness and competence that allowed him to thrive in an environment that others would not. Over the years, many new innovations and techniques have emerged that have helped save more lives. We always had to go through rigorous training to stay in shape and update ourselves on the latest rescue and resuscitation techniques. Always in the back of our mind was, will they really put me to the test when a real emergency occurs? I’ve seen it happen on multiple occasions when a fellow lifeguard just freezes at the precise moment they should have jumped into action. Even with all that training, there are those who simply cannot handle a real life and death situation when it actually occurs. Happens all the time.
As the years passed, I was continually amazed at the technology that was being introduced to save lives. What we used and what we were trained on in the 60’s in the 90’s was outdated and not considered reliable. And so the standards to qualify to become a lifeguard today are a far cry from what we had to do just to get into the training class. But, as always, the Boy Scout motto “Prepare yourself” was the standard rule of thumb then as it is now. Coins like the rescue float have been redesigned so that all of today’s lifeguards are assigned one to use in case they are called into action.
There is no greater vocation in life than the preparation to safeguard the sanctity of life. If you are a very competent swimmer to begin with, perhaps your calling is also to become a lifeguard. Whether you choose the beaches or the pool, both are clearly different in water rescue training, as they are similar in common denominator. And that’s in his ability to master swimming rescues in intense situations. For me, the career of my life was very rewarding to say the least.