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As tourist season begins, lifeguards in South Walton are hitting the beach after 80 hours of training.
“It was pretty challenging, I enjoyed it, it was fun. Definitely a challenge though,” said a first-year lifeguard, Robert Hall, “Feels good, it’s a good thing to have the rest of my certificates, it’s definitely part of a career I’m starting to build.”
“It was really cold and we had some big surf,” said head lifeguard Justin Cook, “so that made for interesting training out here on the beach.”
It’s a job that requires serious life-saving skills like board training, first aid and rescue, and physical endurance, but it also requires passion.
“The beach is just so beautiful out here and being able to come out here and work with lifeguards year after year we have that comaraderie with each other,” said 5th-year lifeguard Jay Chance, “And also being able to help out people is just something that I’ve always wanted to do.”
Chance’s younger brother is one of 10 first-time lifeguards who graduated Thursday. They will join 20 others on staff.
“I’m very prideful as a brother to see him go through it and I’m glad that he wanted to be a lifeguard with us,” said Chance.
“It’s really exciting to see the new guards come in and the seasoned guards kind of take them under their wing,” said Deputy Chief for South Walton Fire and Rescue Sean Hughes.
With 26 miles of beach to protect, it will have 17 guards during the day starting March 13th.
“They train rigorously throughout the season in a time of need but really our emphasis is to keep people from getting into trouble,” said Hughes.
Prevention programs like the flag warning system, and even online video of real-time surf conditions encourage visitors and residents to prepare.
“The last thing we’d ever want is for someone to get hurt on vacation so we’re putting so many systems in place to make sure that doesn’t happen,” said Tourist Development representative Tracy Louthain, “we just want everyone to come and have a safe, wholesome beach experience.”
For the 5th year in a row, the class of lifeguards is ready to protect, and hoping for another safe season.
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