El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-12
Guards, In Month, Save ~ Persons
From Drowning In Swimming Pool

IT WAS a warm, still afternoon and
only the shouts Of a score or more
Of bathers disturbed the calm at
the Sunset pool Then came e screse
different from the other cries in rs
note OF distress. A whistle shrilIed
its warning and four husky life
guards hurled themselves through
the water at top speed
It was a woman Unable TO swim.
D she had nevertheless walked DELHI
erately beyond her depth Presently
she rested her head above water. on
the shoulders OF a big life guard
Then she was taken out, assisted 10
the dressing rooms and soon was as
happy a spectator on the bathhouse
I verandn as any.
Thus far - persons who were IN
danger Of drowning have been taken
from the water by the life guard
crew at the pool, while 80 others
have been given assistance or were
alarm as a 'joke." These figures in
elude the time from the pools open
ing, July 10 to August 10, just
month.
Eight men and one woman con-
stirute the regular staff OF life saw
ers, while several extras" work oc-
castonally, when the crowd is large.
Grady Weeks Is the chief life guard
his crew consists OF Wagner Dawson,
William Race, Joe Davis, Hal Bueteu,
slim" Dill Mack Goldman and Leo
Wren, with Mrs. Eleanor Bailey as
the woman guard
Picked for Ability and Strength.
The guards are picked for their
ability and strength primarily, and
are drilled in handling the drowning
persons To qualify as a guard the
applicant must bring from the center
OF the pool 10 the ropes IN shallow
water, q man who gives him no as
sistance- A cool head, Wstchful eye
and courteous manner are the other
qualifications.
-Four Of the guards are constantly
on duty. Two are stationed on life
guard stations in the center of the
pool and two constantly patrol the
sides on the watch for tired or dis
tressed swimmers. All the men en-
ploy the simple overland stroke in
their rescue work.
With the sounding Of the whistle
alarm BY the guard who has located
distressed swimmer all the guards
start toward the spot The guard who
first located the swimmer goes at
once TO the rescue, while a second
stands ready with a "doughnut" life
buoy, for use II the swimmer fights
SO as 20 endanger the guards. Thus
Tar, IN the IS taken from the water,
no need has been found for the buoy.
While the nearest guard Is rescuing
the swimmer all the others. except
one, 90 to his assistance. The re
naming guard has his attention
directed continually at other swim
mers lest the excitement cause them
to become distressed in the water.
Majority Cannot swim.
Nine out OF 10 whom we have l
taken out Of the deep water cannot Z
SWIM" said Weeks. They will abso- I
lutely disregard their own safety and /
the deeper water has q fascination /
for their venturesomeness. Disregard 4
OF safety IS enc big cause OF distress /
among the swimmers and non /
swimmers. although cramps and other /
things have cauE4d US some work. A /
favorite stunt OF young girls Is to I
persuade their escorts to carry them 1
across the pool on their backs. Only 1
the best swimmers can do this The /
man is confronted with admitting 4
that he Is not a good enough swimmer /
OF OF taking q big chance in carrying |
a woman who cannot swim into the
deeper water"
Thus far two rescued persons were
unconscious and were resuscitated by !
The barrel method"-that is, rolling
them so that the water is expelled
from the stomach and lungs. The /
guards however, are trained IN
various other resuscitation methods