The Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center was filled with sounds of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin Alive” and shouts from lifeguards yelling, “Call 911, get a backboard,” at the 15th annual Utah Red Cross Lifeguard Games on Saturday.
Teams from across Utah came to practice their lifeguarding skills and have fun competing against other teams. Teams competed in events that are based off of real-life situations such as submerged victims, deep water spinal injury and CPR.
Lifeguard Games is an opportunity for young lifeguards, working in teams, to demonstrate their lifesaving abilities, from deep water rescues to CPR. Teams demonstrate their training and their abilities to act effectively in a variety of aquatic emergencies.
“We are testing their reaction and their response time,” said Sam Page, committee member on the American Red Cross Utah Region Water Safety. “How they practice these skills is how they will do them in real life.”
Team Avenger was having a lot of fun catching sun rays and relaxing in the kiddy pool during breaks, but when it came down to competing, the team took it seriously.
“We practiced five hours a week for three weeks, in preparation for the Lifeguard Games,” said Jarrad Pullman, 21, a lifeguard at Clearfield Aquatic Center.
Team Avenger got a perfect score on the CPR event.
“It took teamwork, being comfortable with each other and communicating with each other during the event,” Pullman said.
A well-trained lifeguard is the difference between life and death. One such story came from a May news release from the Red Cross of Utah that stated Natalie Stapley, Karen Mangome and Rachael Kankamp were on duty at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center when they noticed a man in the pool who appeared to be unresponsive.
“I just thought he was holding his breath at first,” said Kankamp, who quickly noticed his lips were blue and knew something was terribly wrong.
The three lifeguards took immediate action, working together to pull the man from the pool.
The lifeguards performed CPR, and used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to keep the man alive until paramedics arrived.
“We knew our skills, we didn’t question anything,” Stapley said. “Red Cross skills are real and they work.”
“I feel really proud of our Red Cross certified lifeguards,” said Maxine Margaritis, CEO for the Utah Region of Red Cross. “They are trained appropriately to serve friends, family and community.”
