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The life of a lifeguard

By KEVIN PURDY
kevinpurdy@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - Whether you're looking from the pool, the beach or the water slide, the job of the lifeguard can seem like a paid vacation.

The shades, the whistle, the red shorts and killer tan -- all topped off with the adrenaline rush and heartfelt praise from the occasional rescue.

Sitting on that stand, however, definitely comes with some heavy responsibilities, as well as its own unique headaches.

Scott Marquis of Decatur, Ill, watches over Cedar Point Beach during the beginning of the open hours of the beach. Register photo/JASON WERLING

There are testy vacationers who don't want to hear about the height requirements for their kids. There are long hours in the hot sun, interrupted by cleaning duties and occasional "audits" for safety.

Not to mention having to occasionally break out the bio-hazard gloves for -- well, for working where there's a lot of young children.

But lifeguards, from the public pools to the lazy rivers, say there's no other job they'd rather have.

To be certain, there are plenty of lifeguard jobs available in the area. But demand for them runs high, as well.

The American Red Cross' Sandusky chapter enrolled 80 people in its 30-hour certification courses between July 2004 and June 2005.

Most taking those classes work at public pools and beaches, as well as area country clubs, said Ron Rude, executive director of the local Red Cross.

Kalahari and Cedar Point do their own lifeguard training, which is overseen and regularly "audited" by the private firm Ellis and Associates.

That means those watching Cedar Point's beach never know when that guy with the video camera could be capturing them on the job, not his children in the waves.

Brent Arthur, who has spent his last three summers off from Indiana University lifeguarding for Cedar Point, says they have a simple creed: "Watch your water."

About 160 lifeguards share duties at Cedar Point's beach, pools and Soak City. Another 90 were added when Castaway Bay opened last fall.

Even though they regularly rotate positions, the 8 to 10 hour shifts can be tiring, Arthur said. And not everybody is appreciative when you run to their loved ones' rescue.

During his first year there, Arthur ran into the water to grab a 5 to 6-year-old child who was losing his footing in the waves.

After he climbed out of the unusually cold August waters, he brought the child to a man standing nearby.

"I said, 'Is this your kid?' He said, 'Yeah,' and that was pretty much it," Arthur said.

Chris Bakos, aquatics director at Kalahari, said the roughly 120 lifeguards there haven't had much in the way of rescue work since the water park opened in May.

They still have to keep a watchful eye, but they also serve as part-time customer relations experts.

"Guest service is what's very unique about working here," Bakos said. "We encourage them to interact with the guests, to talk to the kids and even get on the body board with them."

Zach Judge, a 19-year-old Edison High School graduate, is a lead guard at the park. He started when the park opened, and compares his job to being a floor manager at a factory.

The guards he supervises sometimes complain that they're stationed at their posts too long -- even with 15-minute rotations -- and once in awhile, "guests will have too much to drink and argue a bit more," Judge said.

But he can't think of himself doing anything else -- at least, not right now.

"I don't know what it is about it, but I just love being a lifeguard," Judge said.

On a recent Thursday evening, the Osborn Park Pool in Perkins Township was much less busy than Kalahari -- there were four kids in the pool, one for each lifeguard.

Katie Klaus, 20, from Huron, has worked as a lifeguard there for four years.

There are many similarly slow days during the year, Klaus said, but there are also hot summer days where the pool admits more than 400 kids.

Dealing with the heat can be tough, with no roof or shade over their stands, and she's had to deal with her fair share of nosebleeds and other first-aid issues.

But there's a reason Klaus comes back every year. One of them is the swim lessons.

"I love teaching them," Klaus said. "The kids are a lot of fun, and the parents are so grateful for what you've taught them."

Almost all of the lifeguards interviewed were in college, and some said they would have to give up their whistles if a position in their field was available.

Bryan Edwards worked as a lifeguard for Cedar Point's beaches for four years, starting in 1992, before he was eventually offered an internship in the marketing division.

He was never faced with a rescue situation during all that time, and there wasn't a regular post rotation.

Still, the job was never boring, he said.

"I had a great time," Edwards said. "I probably would have kept doing it, if mom and dad hadn't said I needed to get a real job."

FunCoast.com is your online guide to summer fun for Cedar Point, the LakeErie Islands and Sandusky area. Our site offers up-to-date information on area attractions, restaurants, hotels, gasoline prices, ferry schedules, swimming, birding and fishing, along with a complete listing of events happening in the Sandusky/Cedar Point area. To use our Webcam and zoom in on Cedar Point's rollercoasters, go to http://funcam.funcoast.com