I saw a young guy getting pulled into a rip current when I was surfing Manasquan Inlet a few years back. He was a bit overweight and looked like he was struggling. I told him he could grab onto my board if he needed to. He insisted he was fine, thanked me and then got out of it on his own. That's the closest I've ever come.
Twice. I high school I saved a classmate from drowning in a lake. He nearly drowned me in the process. This was a real close call for both of us. I had no idea how strong a drowning person can become. He took in enough water and ran out of gas then turned blue. I basically outlasted him then got him to shore with the help of another man who dove in at the end to help. He could have easily died. Scary. A few years later I saved a panicking girl caught in a rip as the lifeguards watched from the beach. This girl was struggling but didn't go crazy like the instance above and let me help. Lifeguards told me after that they thought I had it covered.
well not really a drowning person , but 2 individuals that sank a brand new ski . Story starts off as I'm on the ski getting dropped in the water off the trailer . As I'm about to gear the ski up , i notice a family of people at the other ramp . I would say about 10 adults and 5 children . What caught my eye was that 2 men were helping a man down to the ski in a wheel chair . I looked at my buddy in the van and said to him don't go anywhere yet . I might need you in a few moments . 6 sense maybe i don't know. So about maybe 3 to 10 minutes go by as I'm starting to load up gear . I look back at the channel about 60 feet or more away . The jet ski that the family just launched was slowy sinking with 2 men on it . i kinda looked at my buddy again and said here we go . As i started to push the ski back into the water off the beach , i hear scramming from the family . I look back. Both are in the water with the ski turned over sinking in the back . One fella doing the doggy paddle be lining it towards shore . The other holding onto the flipped ski , both had vests . So i get on the ski and rush over to the fella in the channel holding onto the ski . I ask him if he needs a hand . Then he tells me he's handicape from the waist down . i was shocked . As i try to figure out how to get this man on my ski . ( he's pushing 250 300 lbs . I'm 165 soaking wet ). As i set myself up to pull him on the yamaha suv , he then tells me we have another issue . " whats that ?" i asked . well i lost my shorts . long story short , i slowly dragged the man back to his family . I drop him off and go back to their ski . By the time i got back to it . All that was visible was the trailer strap hook up barely on the surface . I start dragging the ski as it rolls over and over and over . So i hand off the ski and look towards my buddy , he was in tears laughing so hard . with the look of WTF just happened .
Yep. A few unfortunately. Most were in shorebreak. Get their legs swept out from under them and can't get back up.
Yes plenty as a lifeguard for 10 years. Lots of people panic so make sure you have a plan when you enter the water.
Knock them out if they are losing their cool. Easier to drag a lifeless body than someone trying to fight you or drown you whilst saving them
iv saved countless people being swept out but never actually pulled someone up from under water.i was a lifeguard for a pool club when I was 16 lol. funniest story I was at the beach on the 4th of july maybe 6 years ago,there was no waves at all,lake atlantic. I'm standing in like shoulder high water and see someone splashing frantically where it was maybe waist deep or a bit higher. so me and the people I was with go over towards him,and he says hes actually the lifeguard boss making sure the guards are on point.so the guards come in,this guys frantically kicking,splashing in shallow waters and he makes the guards pull him all the way to the sand,and when he gets to the sand he just stands up and runs away.
Yea.. being a lifeguard kinda puts you in that position, so you go into it expecting to save lives.. and to lose some. If you don't have that expectation in your head, it will freak you out when/if it ever does happen. Chance are it won't... but it does happen. So you need to have your head ready for it.
