Lifeguarding 101 taught at pool in Russellville

By Jeannie Stone

LITTLE ROCK — Who wants to be a victim?” asked lifeguard instructor Ashley Beeching. “Who is a brave soul today?”

Silently, Tyler Brown swam to the bottom of the 14-foot Hickey Pool in Russellville to await his rescue. A primary rescuer made contact with him and guided him at a 45-degree angle to the surface where two additional teenage girls swam out to him, stabilized him with floatation tubes and slid the spinal board under him.

“Get his head out of the water!” Beeching shouted to the team working on Brown.

For an exhausting six minutes, the trio treaded water while they strapped and secured Brown to the board, all the while making sure his head and spine had remained in alignment, and that he had not moved.

Fourteen class participants spent 40 hours learning how to recognize when a swimmer was in distress, how to administer oxygen, how to rescue a victim in different situations, how to apply first aid and CPR, and how to operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Since 1914, preventing drownings has been atthe core of the American Red Cross Water Safety Program. The goal of the lifeguard training, designed for strong swimmers at least 15 years old, is to prepare young men and women to protect the general public and teach safe water practices to those they serve.

“Unfortunately, not all pools have AEDs,” Nathan Henderson, lifeguard instructor trainer, said. “All pools should have them because they greatly improve a victim’s chances of survival.” Henderson is on location to observe the lifeguards’ testing day.

“There’s been demand in the surrounding area because of pools and even water parks,” Henderson said. “There are always guards traveling from Atkins to certify, and we have guards who are going to work at Wild River Country, the Tech pool or other local pools. There are guards who want to get certified so they can provide water therapy to the handicapped.

“I put a big emphasis on developing team-building skills,” he said. “The students are also introduced to lifeguard management with exposure to waterpark- and waterfront-guarding demands. We divide the class lessons into practical skills and classroom teaching.”

In order to qualify for the lifeguard training, participants must successfully swim 500 yards, tread water for two minutes without support and retrieve a weighted object from the bottom of the pool.

Henderson provided a commentary on the exercise the students were conducting.

“W hat they are attempting to do is a highly physically demanding rescue. They are learning how to stabilize suspected spinal injuries in deep water. The primary rescuercan’t let go of him once she’s approached him at the bottom of the pool. The rescuers are treading water to support all that weight. It is critical that the victim keeps his head neutral with the spinal alignment through the exercise. That’s what makes this exercise so challenging,” he said.

Brittney Nealy, who passed her final test and will be employed at Hickey Pool, discussed her impressions of the course. “The spinal stuff was hard,” she said. “Just make sure you practice your endurance and know your strokes before you sign up for this.”

Her friend and fellow guard, Caitlin Williams, will work at the Arkansas Tech University pool. “This is not easy,” she said. “Just swimming the 500 yards to qualify for the class is hard work. You really have to know your strokes well.

Treading water in the deep end for any period of time sounds easy enough, but you have already been swimming for two hours, so it is pretty exhausting.” Nealy agreed.

“And read the book,” Williams said. “I promise, you just can’t wing it.”Water-safety tips given

◊Learn to swim. The best thing

anyone can do to stay safe in and

around the water is to learn to

swim. Always swim with a buddy;

never swim alone.

◊Swim in areas supervised by

a life guard.

◊Read and obey all rules and

posted signs.

◊Children or inexperienced

swimmer should take precau

tions, such as wearing a U.S.

Coast Guard-approved personal

flotation device (PFD) when

around the water.

◊Watch out for the dangerous

“too” - too tired, too cold, too

far from safety, too much sun, too

much strenuous activity.

◊Set water safety rules for the

whole family based on swimming

abilities (for example, inexperi

enced swimmers should stay in

water less than chest deep).

◊Be knowledgeable of the water

environment you are in and its

potential hazards, such as deep

and shallow areas, currents,

depth changes, obstructions and

where the entry and exit points

are located.

(Tips courtesy of The American

Red Cross)

River Valley Ozark, Pages 131, 133 on 06/22/2008