Latest news with #AmericanLifeguardAssociation
CBS News
15 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Lifeguard shortage could threaten Derry Borough public pool's summer
A lifeguard shortage is complicating the summer schedule of the public pool in Derry Borough, leaders say. There is nothing worse on a hot day, with the sun beating down and temperatures well into the 90s, than seeing an oasis of cool water locked behind a fence that you can't get to. Derry Borough Council Member Nathan Bundy said no one wants the pool to be closed during the summer, but leaders just don't have enough lifeguards to monitor the pool and keep people safe. "Think about who our lifeguards are and their ages, and a lot of them are under 18 and a lot of them are also siblings," Bundy said. "So, what happened was, a bunch of family vacations happened all at the same time, and we did not have enough on reserve to be able to open safely." According to the American Lifeguard Association, there is a lifeguard shortage nationwide. Pay is cited as a factor, along with the rigors of getting certified. Bundy says certification is something the borough is working on. "We can't certify a lifeguard overnight," Bundy said. "But we are working with the American Red Cross, and we have some feelers out to local school districts and community pools about providing a lifeguard instructor and using our facilities for a lifeguard class." Lifeguards in Derry make $9 per hour, which is in keeping with several other pools in the area. Bundy said the borough would love a staff of 10 to keep the pool open seven days a week. Five lifeguards are usually needed at the pool on any day. But right now, the pool only has three to four lifeguards able to work, with two more hires set to start this weekend. But just as KDKA was recording interviews on Tuesday, two lifeguards resigned, and now the borough is calling into question whether or not it can reopen the pool at all this season. The council will be discussing the fate of the pool on July 1st at its next meeting. "I do hear all the complaints," Bundy said. "I understand them all. I would have loved to go to the pool myself, and we definitely feel the pain of the pass holders, as well that this service was expected. And we are planning some compensation for our pass holders in some different ways going forward this season and maybe for future seasons as well." Now, if you are a certified lifeguard and want to work for Derry, lifeguard jobs will be posted on the pool's Facebook page.
Chicago Tribune
11-06-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Donna Vickroy: Even the best swimmers can drown so learn to respect water
Before you head into the water this summer, make sure you know how not to drown. About 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths occur annually in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Every summer we learn about them happening in local pools or at a Lake Michigan beach or along vacation-popular coastlines. Water can be a relief during hot weather. It can be a comfort, and a thrill. But it can also be dangerous. According to the USA Swimming Foundation, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause for children under the age of 14. It also states that African American children ages 5 to 10 are nearly six times more likely to drown in a swimming pool than their Caucasian peers. If a parent does not know how to swim, according to the foundation, there is only a 19% chance that a child in their household will learn to swim. Wyatt Werneth, spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association and founder of the Drown Zero International Project, said the first step toward preventing drowning is, 'Learn to swim, America.' If you know how to swim and have water confidence, Werneth said, 'you're already ahead of the game.' But even the best swimmers would struggle in battle against a powerful rip current, he said. And that's why everyone also needs to take precautions to prevent drowning. Begin any water outing with a safety check, said Werneth, a former Fire/Ocean rescue chief, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard veteran and celebrity stunt performer. Prevention means dressing kids in bright orange, the color the rescue community uses for easy visibility. It means having a flotation device at the ready because you should never try to rescue someone without one. And it means assigning a designated water watcher during any kind of water outing. 'Make sure there are lifeguards on duty,' he said. 'Lifeguards have super powers in that they can prevent a 911 call from happening.' Give your designated water watcher a whistle and authority to safeguard the family, he said. 'Even if you swim where there's a lifeguard, you should still be accountable for your family.' Watch the weather, he added. In Florida, 'lightning strikes kill more people than shark attacks.' Learn to identify rip currents, although that can be tricky, Werneth said. Remember the adage, 'Wherever there's a dip, there's a rip.' 'If you're on the beach and your stuff is getting wet but people on either side of you are dry, you're in a dip,' he said. 'That's the channel. You want to stay out of that.' Rip currents can be turbulent and move in circles, making them nearly impossible to swim against, Werneth said. 'If you get caught in one, try to relax and signal for help,' he said. If you see someone in distress — moving slowly in the water, flipping on their back — first, call for help. 'Don't attempt to rescue anyone without a floatation device,' he said. 'Seventy-five percent of the drownings I've dealt with over the years are people trying to rescue someone else. So many times, the person in distress is brought to safety but the rescuer doesn't make it,' he said. His Drown Zero initiative is working to install flotation ring stands in all areas where there is the potential for someone to end up in distress. He recalled the tragic story of Ted Hunt, a former lifeguard who saved a woman from drowning but subsequently lost his own life while vacationing in Florida. 'There was no flotation available and he drowned,' Werneth said. 'Today there is a flotation device station dedicated to him at Cocoa Beach.' In the absence of a life ring, Werneth said, a cooler, boogie board or even a beach ball — anything that floats — can be used to help rescue someone who is drowning. Leslie Dorworth, spokesperson for the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, has safety tips that can be applied in any water situation, but particularly for the Lake Michigan beaches, where wind and waves can quickly create powerful rip currents, structural currents near piers and longshore currents. 'On top of the dangerous currents, rapidly shifting weather, deep drop-offs and uneven lakebeds make the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan the most dangerous stretch of water in the Great Lakes when it comes to drownings,' according to the IISG website, Dorworth's tips include: 'Always swim with a buddy, designate a water watcher, wear a properly fitted life jacket and know the water, which means looking for signs of dangerous conditions such as flags or structural currents.' Don't be afraid to ask the lifeguard about the safest spots for children to swim. If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, remember this catchphrase: 'Float first then figure it out.' 'Rip currents can move faster than Olympic swimmers,' Dorworth said. 'Swimming against them will exhaust you.' Instead, flip on your back, float, wave one arm and call for help. If you can, swim across the current — parallel to shore — until you are free of it and can head back to shore, Dorworth states. And, remember, Lake Michigan water can be cold. Dorworth recommends beachgoers take frequent breaks. If you're caught in cold water, 'pull arms and legs close to the body to preserve heat,' she said. In addition, parents should review with their children 'what to do in case something goes wrong' before heading out, she said.
