When it comes to being a lifeguard, the ability to determine if a person is drowning is the most important part of the job, aside from being a strong swimmer yourself, of course. A few seconds of indecision or inattention could spell doom for someone who could have otherwise been saved. Thankfully for the lifeguard in this video series on those in the profession, that didn’t happen.
The principal person in the video is Terry, a lifeguard at Australia’s Bondi Beach. He sees a young girl flailing in the water. It’s clear that she’s struggling to keep from drowning, and he quickly grabs a board, dives into the water and paddles out to her location. Seconds later, he pulls the lucky girl out of the water and puts her on the board for a few minutes before paddling back and reuniting her with her panic-stricken mother.
There’s a very sad reason for Terry’s calling as a lifeguard. His son died after being stuck in the birth canal for too long. He walked away from that with an overwhelming desire to help other people. Thank goodness for this little girl that he heard that call. Otherwise, who knows what tragedy might have occurred. His loss was a gain for this little girl, her family and the whole lifeguarding community.
Watching the video, you can see that the loss of his son still affects Terry very deeply. He has to stop talking at one point to grab a tissue and dab at his eyes before continuing. There probably is not a day that goes by without his contemplating what his life would have been like with his son still alive. People who have suffered circumstances like this often throw themselves into their work. This is one of the best jobs to do that.
What an intense video. Seeing it from the point of view on the board was even more visceral. Didn’t you think so? Have you had any near-drowning experiences yourself? Tell us all about it in the comments section.
SHARE this amazing video with your friends and family on Facebook. This story is just too amazing to keep to yourself. Share it!