Lorain County Metro Parks to hold lifeguard training

Training will take place Sept. 13, 20, 22, 27 and 29 at the Splash Zone Aquatic Center, 95 W. Hamilton St. in Oberlin.

Those 15 years and older and adept at swimming are encouraged to attend American Red Cross-certified lifeguard training through the Lorain County Metro Parks.

Training will take place Sept. 13, 20, 22, 27 and 29 at the Splash Zone Aquatic Center, 95 W. Hamilton St. in Oberlin.

It will begin with a prerequisite swim test consisting of a 300-yard swim demonstrating front crawl or breaststroke, treading water for two minutes without using hands and a brick retrieval.

The American Red Cross requires each participant to complete 25 hours and 20 minutes of the course as well as the passing the swim test to achieve certification, according to its website.

Certification must be renewed every two years through a lifeguard review course, which takes place through the Metro Parks in October.

Classes will consist of participants learning CPR, AED usage and first aid, proper pool surveillance and how to respond to emergencies, including drowning and injuries, said Ursula Drinko, the program’s supervisor and Lorain County Metro Parks facility coordinator.

“People are always looking for lifeguards,” Drinko said. “It’s a lifetime skill.

“You never know when you’ll be in a situation. You could be at a birthday party and someone starts choking. You never know when skills will come in handy.”

Once training participants are certified, they can be chosen to work for the Metro Parks by supervisors and staff, she said.

If training participants are interested in a job with the Metro Parks, they can apply after certification or show interest beforehand.

“Anyone interested in a job can either stop in or give us a call,” Drinko said.

Enrollment in lifeguard training has decreased over the years, she said.

This may be due to a number of different factors, including pay and teens pursuing different job opportunities, Drinko said.

“Kids don’t have to work the same as in different eras,” she said. “Work isn’t necessarily a priority.”

Lake Erie is leading all of the Great Lakes in drowning deaths so far this year with 27 fatalities, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in those ages 1 to 4 and the second cause of the for those up to 14 years behind car accidents.

Dave Benjamin, executive director of public relations and project management for Great Lakes Surf Rescue, said 80 percent of drowning victims are male.

Psychological studies suggest that this is due to men being more likely to take risks and overestimate their abilities, Benjamin said.

“A fun day at the beach, can turn into a tragedy when a friend dares another friend to swim out over their head,” he said.

Having eyes watching the water can make a world of a difference when preventing drowning, Benjamin said.

A person struggling to keep afloat looks much different than in the movies, he said.

A drowning victim will have their head tilted back and mouth at water level with their body at a vertical position.

Also, a drowning victim will submerge indefinitely after around 50 seconds of struggle.

Benjamin suggests that if a person is struggling to swim that they flip onto their back with their chest above the water’s surface, keep their head above water, remain calm, conserve energy and wait for rescue personnel to arrive or search for a safe path to shore.