Lifeguard Research Paper

Words: 555
Pages: 3

Rescue
I was a newly hired lifeguard at Tom Muehlenbeck recreational center. After rotating all throughout the park from outside stands to some stands in the water for twelve hours, I no longer had much energy to yell at misbehaving patrons, whether it was for running or a child wearing arm floaties. Staring at the water and constantly moving my eyes, looking at every person in the water and evaluating them, is quite exhausting. Visual scanning requires vigilance and became very taxing for my brain. My eyes were stinging from the chlorine and my brain was in a daze. I was quite relieved when I realized that I was on my last stand. But it was the stand that overlooked the drop slide, which is notorious for having people almost drown. As a
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In anticipation to leave that torturous stand, I counted the seconds that went by. There were five minutes left when a man came out of the slide. He swam to shore and waited beside me for his daughter. When she came out, I saw that she was very small. I started to worry as it looked like she was getting pulled under by the current of the drop slide. Her eyes were wild with fear. My instantly eyes dilated and my heart was racing. Time seemed to stop. But I felt frozen in place, almost isolated from the world. The feeling that no one could help me gripped my body. My indecision and fear was crushing me. I completely locked up and felt incapable of acting. In few more seconds, I knew she would drown. Instinctively I blew a long whistle and activated the EAP, emergency action plan. This snapped me out of my fear driven trance. I then tunnel visioned on the girl, nothing around me mattered. I plunged into the water below and swam hard to get to the girl as soon as possible. I trusted in my instincts knowing that my training was all ingrained into my mind and body. But when I finally got there I did not find a drowning girl, but the father with the girl on his back. I gave them my tube to ensure they both did not drown and we swam back