As the weather warms up, millions of Americans will be flocking to beaches. If you're one of them, Wyatt Werneth, with the American Lifeguard Association, has what you'll need to know to keep your family safe.
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00:00 Millions of Americans are going to be
00:01 soaking up the sun in the beach this
00:03 season and we want to make sure that
00:05 everyone stays safe. So joining us right
00:07 now is spokesperson for the American
00:08 Lifeguard Association, Wyatt Werneth.
00:09 Why I thank you so much for joining us
00:11 and it looks like from sunny Florida
00:13 this morning. What a joy.
00:15 Yeah, thanks for having us guys.
00:19 We really appreciate it.
00:20 It is a little sunny and a little chilly.
00:21 Not so bad. That's a combo
00:24 that I can get behind,
00:25 but let's get into the details here.
00:26 The nitty gritty if you will.
00:28 You know we've already seen some sad news.
00:30 Tragedy at the beach this year when a
00:32 sand cave collapsed killing a child in
00:34 Florida and then multiple rip current
00:36 rescues as well. You know we want
00:38 to have fun at the beach,
00:39 but we want people to be as
00:41 safe as they possibly can.
00:42 Any need to knows that people might
00:44 well need to know as we get ready
00:46 for spring and summer trips here.
00:48 Well, thanks for asking that.
00:51 Something we're trying to get people
00:53 to recognize is no before you go.
00:55 Go on the Internet area that you're
00:57 going to be going to find out where
00:59 the lifeguards are always swim in
01:00 front of a lifeguard your chance of
01:02 drowning for a lifeguard or one in
01:04 18 million and something else that
01:06 lifeguards do is like that incident
01:08 with the whole digging is where
01:09 ambassadors of the beach we would
01:11 see someone doing that and would
01:12 make sure that they would not dig
01:14 that hole any deeper than knee high
01:16 to the smallest person in their group.
01:18 So it's very important to be
01:19 in front of lifeguards.
01:20 Such an important point and man,
01:23 what a statistic. One in 18 million.
01:25 I think those are chances that people
01:27 would be very much willing to take there.
01:29 Now let's talk more about rip current
01:31 safety here because look,
01:32 it's something that a lot of people
01:34 really don't know until they're in one,
01:36 and that's a really dangerous
01:37 situation to be in.
01:38 Can you give people some tips on
01:40 how to spot rip currents and
01:41 really how to avoid them as well?
01:43 Certainly these are great tips.
01:46 You need to know when you go to the beach.
01:49 First of all, again,
01:50 know before you go find that lifeguard tower.
01:52 The lifeguards will point out the rips,
01:53 but a rip is a deep channel
01:55 with sandbars on each side where
01:56 the water is rushing outwards.
01:58 The worst conditions are onshore
02:00 wind with the outgoing tide.
02:01 So look at your tide.
02:02 What we have here at our
02:04 beach in Cocoa Beach.
02:05 Or we have these little dips
02:07 everywhere there's a dip.
02:08 There's a rip so they're easily
02:09 identifiable on this beach,
02:11 but a lot of beaches they are not.
02:13 So it's important to swim your lifeguard
02:15 or find out where those rip currents are.
02:16 And if you do get caught in one,
02:18 do not panic.
02:19 Don't swim against it.
02:20 Swim parallel left or right.
02:21 Now they hope you get out of it.
02:22 Now one other question for you here
02:24 this morning, Wyatt.
02:25 We've had some issues with
02:26 the lifeguard shortages lately.
02:28 It's been a problem the last few years.
02:29 How is the lifeguard Association
02:31 preparing to staff up the beaches?
02:32 And of course the pools as well.
02:34 This time of year as things get busier.
02:36 We know it's always a concern.
02:40 America, it seems like they don't
02:41 take the lifeguards as serious
02:42 as they do the fire,
02:43 the police and EMS.
02:45 They need to take a deep look at that
02:47 because we are we have a superpower.
02:50 Lifeguard superpower is we can stop
02:52 people before they get into danger.
02:54 Where you know the fire and
02:55 rescue they wait for 911.
02:57 So it's really important what we're
02:58 trying to do this year is there.
03:00 They're doing some incentives
03:02 for recruiting.
03:03 I sign on bonuses.
03:04 They're waiving some of the
03:06 training fees that are out there,
03:08 and the most important thing is
03:09 they're increasing the salaries.
03:11 That's very important,
03:12 and we're hoping that they'll
03:13 have a career path forward,
03:15 so that'll give retention of
03:16 people like our groundwork.
03:17 That's awesome.
03:19 We love to see people advocating
03:21 for safety however possible.
03:23 Wyatt Ornith from the American
03:24 Lifeguard Association.
03:25 We appreciate you being here this
03:27 morning and a happy and safe
03:28 beach season to you.
03:29 You too guys.
03:31 Have a summer.