Latest news with #JuniorLifeguardProgram
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Junior Lifeguard Program returns to South Walton
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Every summer, the South Walton Fire District Junior Lifeguard Program makes its return to teach lifeguarding skills to young recruits. For Summer 2025, the program will begin on Thursday with approximately 200 participants aged 9 to 16 years old. According to a news release, SWFD Beach Safety staff will train four groups in skills such as open water swimming, CPR and first aid, conducting water rescues, rip current identification, drowning prevention, beach warning flag comprehension, and more. Firefighters work together to control structure fire in Walton County 'Juniors fits the mold on why we matter for this community and shows how far we have come in creating longevity for ourselves in 20 seasons of operations,' SWFD Beach Safety Director David Vaughan said. The program creates a pipeline for participating Juniors to become professional lifeguards once they turn 17. Further information and photos will be released once the program is underway. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
South Walton Fire District reports zero drownings in 2024
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – South Walton Fire Rescue officials say expanded water safety education efforts seem to have paid off. In 2023, lifeguards performed 141 water rescues. 4 people drowned off South Walton beaches. 3 of those occurred during a 16-day stretch in June with extreme rip currents. Last year lifeguards performed only 60 water rescues, and there were no drownings. That was with a 26% increase in the number of beach-goers. Beach Safety Director David Vaughan says lifeguards create a safer beach environment through education. Merriam Cherry Street Elementary School's STEAM class receives makeover 'We've had a lot of significant rescues. It's really for people who come in and aren't really aware of how dangerous it can be out there and they get themselves into trouble. We're really good at getting them out of that trouble.' Vaughn says the key is to start educating kids, and the Junior Lifeguard Program helps. More than 200 children aged 9 to 16 learn CPR and first aid training. To learn more about the Junior Lifeguard Program, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
