Lifeguard Fired for Trying to Save Man Outside of His Zone
Former Member
Link to the story Florida Lifeguard Fired for Trying to Save Drowning Man Outside of His Zone
"According to the Sun Sentinel, Lopez was approached by a beachgoer who pointed out a man struggling in the water nearly 1,500 feet south of his post.
Instinctively, he ran down the beach to save him. By the time Lopez got to him, he had been pulled to shore by fellow beachgoers.
Following his rescue attempt, Lopez was let go for leaving the area he was supposed to be covering."
I was also an Ellis certified lifeguard for 5-6 years when I was younger, and one thing we were taught is that you NEVER leave your assigned area. Coverage for the areas under lifeguard authority absolutely requires that the guard in each area maintain oversight in that specific place. This is what allows the aquatic area to remain protected as a whole. If a guard needs to jump in for a save, the long whistle blow signifies that help is needed, and there should be several additional guards who are able to be in the area within 15-20 seconds (could be longer at a very large beach). In my opinion, there should have been a long whistle blow, and he should have waited until there was a guard who could assist in his area before travelling 500 yards for a save. It sounds harsh, but the man WAS swimming in an unsupervised area...
I certainly understand the instinct to help, but truly the guard should not have left his post until there was coverage for his area. The safety of the entire aquatic area was likely compromised as a result of his actions. This is ESPECIALLY true in open water environments, which are notorious for being difficult to guard because of the lack of clarity/darkness/uniformity of the water. I would guess that this is why he was ultimately fired, as it is a huge liability risk for the city/county that operates the beach. Was firing him overly harsh? Probably. Will another guard ever leave their post again at this beach? Probably not.
I was also an Ellis certified lifeguard for 5-6 years when I was younger, and one thing we were taught is that you NEVER leave your assigned area. Coverage for the areas under lifeguard authority absolutely requires that the guard in each area maintain oversight in that specific place. This is what allows the aquatic area to remain protected as a whole. If a guard needs to jump in for a save, the long whistle blow signifies that help is needed, and there should be several additional guards who are able to be in the area within 15-20 seconds (could be longer at a very large beach). In my opinion, there should have been a long whistle blow, and he should have waited until there was a guard who could assist in his area before travelling 500 yards for a save. It sounds harsh, but the man WAS swimming in an unsupervised area...
I certainly understand the instinct to help, but truly the guard should not have left his post until there was coverage for his area. The safety of the entire aquatic area was likely compromised as a result of his actions. This is ESPECIALLY true in open water environments, which are notorious for being difficult to guard because of the lack of clarity/darkness/uniformity of the water. I would guess that this is why he was ultimately fired, as it is a huge liability risk for the city/county that operates the beach. Was firing him overly harsh? Probably. Will another guard ever leave their post again at this beach? Probably not.
