By Jeff Labine

Residents reminded to follow pool safety rules

Jun 20, 2017 | 2:00 PM

Environment Canada is forecasting a sunny and warm weekend, meaning many will be looking for ways to keep cool. 

One way to beat the heat might be to take a dip and enjoy the rays at the Kinsmen Water Park.

But those wanting a good time better follow the rules, warned Lauren Haubrich, the city’s recreation programming for aquatics.

She said lifeguards do a lot more than what’s depicted in big action-packed movies like Baywatch.

“A lifeguard’s main responsibility is prevention,” she said. “We’re looking for things that could be hazards or are potential hazards, and then stopping and dealing with them before it becomes an incident.”

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Haubrich said the stereotype of lifeguards yelling at people not to run is there for a reason as someone could slip and fall. Lifeguards, especially at the water park, also keep a sharp-eye out for children left by themselves.

The city’s policy is that children under the age of eight-years-old have to be accompanied by an adult. Haubrich said on occasion, parents will drop off their children and expect the lifeguard to supervise them, but that’s not their responsibility.

“This year we implemented a wristband policy as well,” she said. Haubrich explained children under eight-years-old are given a red band, meaning they must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Besides prevention, lifeguards also have to respond to any incident that might come up, educating swimmers and administrative work.

Above all, the lifeguard’s job is to prevent anything serious from happening like drowning.

The most recent drowning report by the Drowning Prevention Research Centre stated at least 20 drowning deaths occur each year in Saskatchewan. Over a five-year period, between 2009 and 2013, the average drowning rate in the province is two per cent per 100,000 population.

The majority of drownings – 48 per cent – happen at lakes, followed by 17 per cent at rivers. Men are 84 per cent more likely to drown compared to women and the most common age group is between 20-24 years old. Most drowning deaths happen in July.

Haubrich said every summer a tally is done to see how many non-swimmers they rescue. A non-swimmer is someone, who for whatever reason, is not able to continue swimming on their own.

So far, this year there have been two non-swimmer rescues. Last year, there was 60 non-swimmers rescued from the entire pool area, she added.

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter