Everyone in the gym wears a mask (mandated in our state in the gym) however, one of the guards spent most of the hour I was swimming in the chair (in between breaks) with the mask off, unless she had to speak to the other guard. She's taken short mask breaks in the past, but this was ridiculous. All member have to wear the mask in the gym, while working out, on the deck, etc. and an employee of the fitness center doesn't. I'm surprised the other "main" guard has let this go, since he never removes his mask.
Please stop trying to kill people by spreading deliberate lies.
Like I've said before, the USMS moderators need to flag posts like Twitter does for dangerous and scientifically false content.
I'm somewhat in the middle on this. Certainly covid is awful but it seems odd to worship at its alter at the expense of everything else. I am a rule guy but wearing masks on a lifeguard stand is ridiculous and is simply a form of virtue signaling. I'm sure at any given moment there are 10 people in this country having sex with perfect strangers with a mask on (out of fear of covid) but no condom (as whatever happens below the belt is cool). Oregon has legalized hard drugs (and presumably condones the increased domestic violence, murder, theft, etc) but want you to rat out your neighbor if there are too many people in their home for thanksgiving.
As an aside, not sure when all the Berkeley hippies who championed free speech back in the 60s became their polar opposite fathers but it's kind of annoying.
I feel very safe in my swimming environment. Swimmers mask when they approach the lane. Guards mask as they approach their chairs. The masks are removed by all when appropriately socially distanced. No fear here. When the guard is on the chair, the guard is appropriately socially distanced. I have no problem with mask removal while they are up in the chair.
swoomer, in our state, anyone in a gym must wear a mask at all times, whether socially distant or not. There are no exceptions. The gym could get closed down because one guard thinks she is an exception to the rule.
Well, I will agree that, in general, lifeguards are unneeded and probably a waste of money. In 23 years at LA fitness (where they do not have them) I've never heard of a drowning. I'm also fairly certain the 90 lb waif sitting stop the lifeguard stand at my local Y would have no idea or ability to help my bloated cyanotic carcass when the time comes I need her services. Still, I find it necessary to stimulate the economy and help young, hot girls and boys work on their tans.
Tell that to Madeleine Brown, a freshman swimmer at Emory who died at practice when no lifeguard was on deck. One of the masters swimmers noticed her unconscious by the gutter and pulled her out, but it was too late. Now all Emory practices require a lifeguard, because even the best swimmers can get into trouble and slip underwater unnoticed. www.wistv.com/.../
Tell that to Madeleine Brown, a freshman swimmer at Emory who died at practice when no lifeguard was on deck. www.wistv.com/.../
Obviously, I won't be able to.
The article doesn't say what she died from. Shallow water blackout? Some weird QT phenomenon? If there were a whole pool of teammates present, why do you suppose a lifeguard's presence would have helped?
Two swimmers on my kid's team had a shallow water blackout amidst 4 lifeguards on some stupid 50M underwaters several years ago. A parent present saved them. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Tell that to Madeleine Brown, a freshman swimmer at Emory who died at practice when no lifeguard was on deck. One of the masters swimmers noticed her unconscious by the gutter and pulled her out, but it was too late. Now all Emory practices require a lifeguard, because even the best swimmers can get into trouble and slip underwater unnoticed. www.wistv.com/.../
A couple of years ago at the kids' LSC long course championship, a girl passed out doing the 200 fly. She had some condition, it wasn't the first time. She had whatever sign, so she rolled over on her back before passing out. But the lifeguard RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER didn't react. The dad started yelling from the opposite end of the pool, then started going over seats.......we thought there was a fight brewing, until he jumped over the barrier to the deck.....then we thought he was going after the coach, until he dove in. By then, people near the blocks where she was noticed, and jumped in to assist her. The lifeguard never reacted.
Tell that to Madeleine Brown, a freshman swimmer at Emory who died at practice when no lifeguard was on deck. One of the masters swimmers noticed her unconscious by the gutter and pulled her out, but it was too late. Now all Emory practices require a lifeguard, because even the best swimmers can get into trouble and slip underwater unnoticed. www.wistv.com/.../
How tragic and heartbreaking! I was shocked that Kurt, an emergency room physician no less, would say such an irresponsible thing. Kurt, as you should know, the lifeguard's job is to WATCH the swimmers at all times. That is their sole focus. If that gal's teammates were present, don't you think their focus was on their own swimming, which was what they were supposed to be doing? They probably didn't notice what had happened to that gal, if they were staring at the black line on the bottom of the pool.
A couple of years ago at the kids' LSC long course championship, a girl passed out doing the 200 fly. She had some condition, it wasn't the first time. She had whatever sign, so she rolled over on her back before passing out. But the lifeguard RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER didn't react. The dad started yelling from the opposite end of the pool, then started going over seats.......we thought there was a fight brewing, until he jumped over the barrier to the deck.....then we thought he was going after the coach, until he dove in. By then, people near the blocks where she was noticed, and jumped in to assist her. The lifeguard never reacted.
If the gal had a pre-existing condition, it was the responsibility of the parent to give the lifeguard a heads-up and explain to the guard that if his daughter rolls on to her back, the guard should jump in and pull her out! The guard probably thought she was just tired and didn't realize she had a medical condition.
Swimmers: If you know that you or your child has a medical condition, explain that to the lifeguard before you or your child swims! That should be repeated to any new guard at your pool or at your child's pool.
I was shocked that Kurt, an emergency room physician no less, would say such an irresponsible thing. Kurt, as you should know, the lifeguard's job is to WATCH the swimmers at all times.
I honestly don't really think he said anything irresponsible. Of course, each scenario is different. The health clubs with 3 lane, 4' deep pools don't have lifeguards. Used to be 24 hours a day, now it is open 5:00AM until midnight. For many hours throughout the day, no one is in there, and many others, there is only one person. I'm not really sure how a small health club would be able to afford that wihtout raising their fees a lot.
The civic center with a 12' deep pool and 7 lanes does, though they have periods of lap swimming and general free swimming. I think in each case, the staffing is appropriate.
OF course, in the case of the Emory swimmer, I can only guessing she was working out on her own? The age group swim teams don't usually have life guards, the coaches are required to have certifications. And of course the swimmers are very aware of where their lane peers are or should be. The one time we had a guy push it (collegiate swimmer, training with us after he left Auburn via transfer, before he enrolled at Arizona, so very high level), we had a coach in the middle of teh outdoor pool waiting in the water in case he had issues - he was trying to get a full 100M underwater w/o fins. But if someone was free swimming in a typical city sized pool in an open swim case, then yes, lifeguards are a pretty important thing.
If the gal had a pre-existing condition, it was the responsibility of the parent to give the lifeguard a heads-up and explain to the guard that if his daughter rolls on to her back, the guard should jump in and pull her out! The guard probably thought she was just tired and didn't realize she had a medical condition.
Swimmers: If you know that you or your child has a medical condition, explain that to the lifeguard before
you or your child swims! That should be repeated to any new guard at your pool or at your child's pool.
Three points - the condition was known and shared with the host team. The parent or swimmer wouldn't have any access to the lifeguards beforehand. Or for that matter, during, as they would often swap out. Second point, I think it is non-sequitur. THis is a championship level meet with qualifying times. There won't be kids just getting tired in the middle of a 200M swim. And again, the father who was yelling and screaming dove in from across the pool. A coach jumped in close to her (she was by the backstroke flags, so about 5M from the wall). Lifeguard never reacted - and was, FWIW, fired on the spot. Third point - if a kid is so tired that they roll over on their back, then they are obviously in need of assistance, which is the whole purpose of the lifeguard. Besides, the kid was lifeless. She was unconscious when she was pulled from the pool.
Now what I WILL say is that if one has such a medical condition and it is known, then events like a 200Fly are probably not the best choices.
Gotta mark this thread - not often you and I don't see thigns more closely :)
