One of the reasons I hate swimming in outdoor community/development pools is the lifeguard glare you get when you come in with all your gear, prepared to swim and hour or two. :banana: I've been swimming outside for 25 years in the summer, and find that the guards are mostly all the same - texting, playing ball, sleeping, eating. Heaven forbid, they have to sit up and watch a swimmer. I feel like they really hate when I walk in because they have to actually do their job. I've treated them to lunch, ice cream, treats and some are fine, but overall, they are mostly very lazy. I tell them I had a guard cert, (I can swim better than almost all of them!), and they don't have to sit in the chair, or even watch, but I still feel the glare. I've even encountered a few occasions when the sun was shining and guards claimed they heard thunder. What happened to the good old days when guards sat in the chair and did their job without resentment? I only see that type of mentality at the indoor pools. On rainy days, they really give me the evil eye. :badday:
I am sad to report some of my pool life guards have let me down.
In one pool a young man with autism drifted into the deep end of the pool The lifeguards were trying to get his attention by yelling at him. The young man did not respond. Since I was in the pool, and in the deep end anyway, I swam over to the young man, and towed him to the side of the pool. He was slippery, since he was covered head-to-toe with sun block. When I got him to the side of the pool the lifeguards did not pull him out. I towed the young man again to shallow water where I could stand up. By that time the lifeguards located the mother of the young man and the young man finally agreed to climb up the pool ladder and exit the pool.
In another pool a young child 2 1/2 - 3 years old decided she wanted to get in the pool. This young child walked to the opposite side of the pool from her parent. She sat down, and slid herself into the pool. Myself and another pool patron jumped into the pool and pulled the young child out of the pool. I am also sad to report that the young child was the daughter of the swim coach. The lifeguard was not on the pool deck, and most likely did not see this incident, because I fully expected the lifeguard to come racing out of the pool office, but did that did not happen. Shame on the Swim Coach for not being aware of his own daughter, and Shame on the lifeguard for sleeping on the job.
I am sad to report some of my pool life guards have let me down.
In one pool a young man with autism drifted into the deep end of the pool The lifeguards were trying to get his attention by yelling at him. The young man did not respond. Since I was in the pool, and in the deep end anyway, I swam over to the young man, and towed him to the side of the pool. He was slippery, since he was covered head-to-toe with sun block. When I got him to the side of the pool the lifeguards did not pull him out. I towed the young man again to shallow water where I could stand up. By that time the lifeguards located the mother of the young man and the young man finally agreed to climb up the pool ladder and exit the pool.
In another pool a young child 2 1/2 - 3 years old decided she wanted to get in the pool. This young child walked to the opposite side of the pool from her parent. She sat down, and slid herself into the pool. Myself and another pool patron jumped into the pool and pulled the young child out of the pool. I am also sad to report that the young child was the daughter of the swim coach. The lifeguard was not on the pool deck, and most likely did not see this incident, because I fully expected the lifeguard to come racing out of the pool office, but did that did not happen. Shame on the Swim Coach for not being aware of his own daughter, and Shame on the lifeguard for sleeping on the job.
