Being a Lifeguard

    Being a lifeguard is not as fun as it looks. It requires endurance, alertness, patience, knowledge, and consistency. As a lifeguard at the Great Wolf Lodge I have to meet all have all of these requirements which is possible, but not an easy task. When I first started working as a lifeguard I had no idea how this job would be. I thought it would be a pretty fun way to make money. I soon found out however that there’s more to the job I had no idea of. A few requirements of being a lifeguard would be that you must know the proper techniques of CPR regardless of the situation. You must scan your water in a effective, and consistent fashion, you must know how to distribute first aid to a guest in need of it, and you must be weary of your surroundings at all times in case of a sudden emergency. Being a lifeguard can be a very stressful and scary experience. In several cases I’ve came close to administrating CPR on guests in distress, but luckily the guests showed signs of being alright. I have been a lifeguard for about a year and I must say I’m a pretty good one. I’ve had many achievements and rewards for my consistency of being a great lifeguard. After only 5 months I was promoted to trainer, who is a leader, teacher, and role model for less experienced lifeguards.
       One incident that I will share was when I jumped in for a child who appeared to show signs of struggle in the water. After bringing the child to safety the mother couldn’t stop showing her appreciation of the situtation telling me it was one of the most amazing things she’s ever seen and that she’ll never forget it. To me it was just another rescue, but little did I know how significant this meant to this woman. The lady left me a 50 dollar bill in an envelope in the Water Park director’s office. She told my boss of the rescue and how much it meant to her. She explained to him that her mother actually died from a drowning when she was a child, and that she’s carried that pain of losing her mother for years. When she seen me perform the rescue on her very own child, it gave her an overwhelming feeling of security and appreciation. When I heard of her story It gave me and awesome feeling of accomplishment, that I could touch the life of another human being by just doing my job. I am proud to say that I’m a lifeguard, and hopefully I can touch more lives by simply doing my job.
   

Reviews

[Wally]

What a wonderful story. It does make you feel good when you can touch another person's life. I especially like the way you ended your story.