Saving lives on the East Coast

By Mark Irvin Scarborough lifeguard

The lifeguards spend a lot of time reuniting lost children with their parents

I have been working as a lifeguard on Scarborough's south beach for six years now. It sounds like a cliché but I love helping people. I'm not an office person and, having grown up by the beach, it's the perfect job for me.

We're on duty on the beaches from 10 until 6, seven days a week. Rescues are rare but that's the way we like it. Our job is to be proactive and encourage visitors to use the beaches safely and if we had to rescue people from the water all day then we wouldn't be doing our jobs properly.

At the south beach we spend a lot of time reuniting lost children with their parents and educating people about beach safety. Just a few days into the summer season we'd already looked after about ten lost children.

Having said that though, the highlight of my job so far was last year when I took part in my first proper water rescue. A surfer and a body boarder got caught in a tide at the Spa end of the beach and it took four of us to bring them back in. Knowing that we'd got them safely back was a fantastic feeling.

The lifeguards are on the beaches from 10am until 6pm, seven days a week

There have been a lot of changes to our training this year since the RNLI took over the lifeguard service. We all have a recognised lifeguard qualification and had to complete a number of different fitness tests. For example, we have to be able to run 200 metres on the beach in under 40 seconds and complete a 400 metre pool swim in less than 7.5 minutes.

We're trained as first responders and we were taught to use defibrillators and administer oxygen therapy. We also have to know how to recognise and treat casualties with spinal injuries and prioritise responses to medical emergencies.

The changeover of the service this year to the RNLI has made a big difference. Most people have heard of the RNLI's lifeboat service and have a lot of respect for the charity. We're very visible on the beaches this year, with the Mobile Lifeguard Units, our uniforms, the red and yellow flags, which advise people on the safest place to swim, and the windbreaks, which carry our safety messages. The reaction from the public has been fantastic and it all helps us to do our job better.

Our main message to the public is to always swim between the red and yellow flags. We watch the whole beach but the areas between the flags are constantly monitored so, if you get into trouble, we can be with you quickly.

If you see the lifeguards and want some advice, go and talk to them. That's what we are here for; to make sure everyone enjoys the beaches safely!