Lifeguard in Action During the Australian Floods

Check it out here. Now that's an Aussie, eh, mate?!

Lifeguard Makes Pool Rescue - All Caught on Film

Click this link to see a play-by-play water rescue.   Notice the refined use of the frog kick to get extra power.  Note:  Click on the pictures to enlarge.

How many lifeguards does it take to guard me?

Woke this morning to the wonderful pitter patter of rain on my west facing window. It's a sound I love and I would have preferred to lie there and just enjoy the sound but my personal drive to not allow much of anything get in the way of my workout won over and I found myself at the pool. The Masters group was just leaving as the sun was coming up and those people (if you can call them that) - like werewolves and vampires - disappear at first light. I digress, anyhow, upon my second lap, I found myself with my own 50 meter pool - just me and (get ready) six lifeguards surrounding the pool (yes I said SIX). I completed about 7/8ths of my workout (about 50 minutes worth) before another person dipped a toe in the water. I really regret keeping my face under water (doing freestyle) that whole time. It really was quite special. I just have to wonder, if I had had trouble, which guard would have jumped in first, or would they all just looked at each other and continued to hug their knees under their towels that was kept the rain off.

Lifeguard!

Check out the lifeguard station in the bottom right corner. Click link for a huge blowup of the picture (no pun intended ... pretty good pun though, huh?).

Lifeguard failure? No, a hero!

It's pretty much accepted practice that our heroes are only given the grand title when they are successful, or when they die trying. Today, I read an article I found on nj.com, which ended in neither. Yet I come away astounded by the heroics the individual exhibited.

Austin Hearn, a lifeguard at a YMCA in New Jersey, happened to be riding his bike near a pond, when he witnessed a woman fall through the ice. He first fought to break the ice to create a path to the woman. When that proved impossible, he attempted to step out onto the ice to commence a reach rescue and fell in himself in waters over his head. Fortunately, there weren't two deaths that day, and Austin saved himself.

I'm guessing, Austin is kicking himself for not succeeding. Similarly, I imagine others may not give Austin the credit he deserves for trying. That's another tragedy, since to anyone who knows cold water, understands that Austin went over and above the call of duty. Oh, yeah, Austin wasn't on duty! He did it out of the goodness of his heart!

From a former lifeguard ... All the best Austin! May you have peace of mind.

New Lifeguards for Martin

Martin Strel's website Amazonswim.com is reporting that Martin is now in the part of the Amazon that empties out into the Atlantic. The river breaks up into narrow channels for a while and it is here that there is apparently the biggest threat of violent piracy. This is a picture of some of Martin's fellas (see what's in the blue shirted guy's hand - click the pic). Don't see much bling but they don't look like the types one wants to mess with. Personally, I preferred Martin's earlier lifeguard who wore a bikini and stood at the bow of his escort boat (picture at top of this post is courtesy of Martin's trip tracking site - Thanks!).