National Media Event: May 24, 2004
Talking Points – Peter Davis 24 May 2004
I’m a lifeguard from Galveston, Texas, but I’m here to represent surf lifeguards throughout the United States.
Every day, especially in high season, our nation’s beaches are inundated with people who come to enjoy the coast.
Very few of these people know much of anything about rip currents.
In fact, according to the CDC, more than one-third of the adult population in the USA consider themselves unable to swim at least one pool length (24 yards).
That’s where we come in.
Rescues from rip currents are dramatic, life-threatening events. They are a struggle by one human being against the forces of nature to rescue others.
We have to quickly identify people in distress, run down the beach, get into the water, and swim to their aid before they submerge. It’s a race against time.
Sometimes there are multiple victims in the same rip current.
Other times, several rip currents pull simultaneously and carry dozens of people offshore at once.
Most times, we get there in time. Sometimes, we can’t.
No lifeguard anywhere wants to have a drowning fatality on their beach.
That’s why we spend so much time talking to people, explaining rip currents, educating them, trying to prevent the need for a rescue or the chance of a drowning.
We need help in this educational process if we are going to win the battle against drowning.
We need people to understand rip currents.
We need people to swim in areas under lifeguard protection.
We need people to follow lifeguard directions.
We’re excited about this program because it means that fewer people will arrive at the beach unaware of the hazards and more people will return home safe.
Swim safely – swim near a lifeguard.
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