This Week in Lifeguard News – Heroic Acts

The importance of lifeguards in not just our pools and beaches but our society at large cannot be underestimated or overstated. Lifeguards have been known to have a knack for selflessness both on and off duty. Lifeguard Times gives you the weekly roundup of these heroic acts from real life superheroes. Here’s Lifeguard news this week.

BLUE BELL AQUATIC CENTER LIFEGUARD HONORED

Lifeguard John Schroeter with the child
he saved, Kendarien Tyzavian Taylor and
his mother, Danielle Moore.

John Schroeter, A Blue Bell Aquatic Center lifeguard, was honored on Thursday, July 14, 2016, by the Brenham City Council, for saving the life a little boy over the fourth of July weekend in 2015.

On July 3, 2015, John Schroeter, saved the life of a little boy who nearly drowned. Aquatic Supervisor Tammy Jaster said Schroeter had seen the boy go underwater in the baby pool and not resurface. Schroeter jumped into the pool, pulled the child out, then resuscitated him by administering CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)- a procedure lifeguards master during lifeguard training. Schroeter continued to care for the child until EMS arrived.

Schroeter was awarded the American Red Cross Lifesaving Award on Thursday afternoon – one of the highest awards presented by the organizations.
Jaster says Schroeter’s actions exemplified the highest degree of concern of one human being for another who is in distress.

Newburyport lifeguard saves 14-year-old drowning girl

At about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2016, two lifeguards Matt Hayden and Drew Brewer saved the lives of four out-of-town bathers. The four friends were wading on a Merrimack River sandbar when a swift current dislodged them from their sandy perch, into the river separating one of the four, a 14-year-old girl.

Matt Hayden, one of two lifeguards on duty jumped into the water and grabbed the teen who was exhausted and very close to drowning while Drew Brewer, the second lifeguard, kept the other three bathers together, bringing them to safety.

Regarding the rescue of the 14-year-old Hayden said: “The current was really strong, so I had to keep her head above water,”. The victim could not hold onto Hayden’s flotation device as she was apparently exhausted from struggling to stay alive. That meant Hayden had to hold onto her while keeping both their heads above water until help arrived.

“I knew what I had to do, so I just focused on what I had to do,” Hayden said.

Newburyport Harbormaster Paul Hogg said boats were speeding toward Hayden and the others within moments after the call came through the radio. Local firefighters who were also dispatched to the scene evaluated all four bathers and declared them OK.

This summer marks the fourth year Hayden has worked for Hogg on Plum Island beaches. Matt Hayden, a Newburyport native said he couldn’t be happier working for the city and was glad he was able to be at the right place at the right time.

“I love the job. I’m definitely glad I work here,” Hayden said.

Lifeguards rescue woman on Sunset Cliffs

According to reports by San Diego Lifeguards, A woman was rescued from the Sunset Cliffs area of Ocean Beach on Sunday 10 July 2016. The incident happened in the 800 block of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard just after 4pm.

Lifeguards and San Diego Fire Rescue were first on scene and found the woman unconscious at the bottom of the cliffs. Lifeguards attempted to rescue the woman both from the water and from above using a helicopter.

CPR was administered to the rescued woman before the helicopter transported her to a hospital, however, it remained unclear if the woman had fallen from the cliffs or if she was attempting to climb up them.

If the lifeguards hadn’t been on the scene, this story would surely have had a different ending.

Teen Lifeguard Saves 6-Year-Old Girl In Bayonne

Lifeguard Luke Bilotta, 18. (Credit/CBS2.)

18-year-old Luke Bilotta, A lifeguard in Bayonne has been branded a hero after saving a drowning 6-year-old girl. Luke was on duty at the DiDomenico Municipal Pool when he noticed the girl had not resurfaced. He immediately jumped in and hauled her out of the water then administered CPR. The little girl who was reportedly at day camp at the time of the incident regained consciousness before she was rushed to the hospital.

Speaking to CBS2 about the incident Luke Biotta said “I didn’t know how far gone she was or how long she had been under. But I just started praying and saying you’re not going to die on me,” Bilotta told CBS2.╚

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