Parents and at least one Los Angeles County supervisor said Tuesday they are looking forward to summer and pressing for a junior lifeguard program to reopen.
Supervisor Janice Hahn told her board colleagues that she had received more than 500 emails from parents and kids upset that the program might be canceled again this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“To be honest, I think they have a right to be upset,” Hahn said. “Our kids have had a full year now without their regular social activities, their schools, after-school programs. Many of them are struggling.”
Hahn agreed that it made sense last summer to shut down the program, which teaches youths aged 9 to 17 beach and ocean skills, including swimming, body surfing, first aid, rescue techniques and CPR.
“But now we have a better idea of how to prevent the spread of this virus and how we can reduce the risk of outdoor activities,” Hahn said. “If we can do it safely, I think we owe it to our kids to get junior lifeguards back up and running this year.”
Several parents called in to the Board of Supervisors meeting to express their support for the program, with one Manhattan Beach mother of six telling the board it saved her oldest son’s life.
“My oldest five have attended junior guards every year they are eligible and two have gone on to graduate out of the program. My youngest and only girl is 9, and this would be her first year to JG,” Brandy Mosteller said. “The JG program is many things but most importantly, it is a lifesaver.”
Two of her sons went surfing on their own one summer night. The 14-year-old fell off his board, slashed the inside of his leg and lost unconsciousness.
“Parris, 11, used his three years of JG training and one, screamed for help, two, made sure Ty’s head was above the water, and three, applied pressure to the deep wound — all skills he learned in junior guards,” Mosteller said. “Lifeguards arrived quickly and 47 stitches later, Ty was fine, but it shaped our family.”
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl pointed out that the program cannot be run without county lifeguards, almost all of whom she said are now working as part of the vaccine roll-out. She expressed concern about whether it made sense to pull them away.
“It’s not really clear to me whether we will be finished — as a matter of fact, it’s looking more and more clear that (we won’t be) — with our vaccination programs by the summer,” Kuehl said.
The board unanimously passed Hahn’s motion to have public health and emergency management staffers report back in 30 days back with a plan for safety protocols and staffing required to safely resume the program.
The matter will return for the board’s consideration when that report is available.