Camp turns kids into lifeguards

A sign to the south of the swimming lagoon at Spring Lake Regional Park said there was no lifeguard on duty at that end of the lake Friday.

But the beach and water were swarming with kids who might well have stood in for one.

Finishing off the first-ever week of Open Water Junior Lifeguard Camp at the park, the 30-plus participants, ages 9 to 16, were clamoring to tell what they'd learned about search-and-rescue techniques, CPR and first aid.

They demonstrated foot sweeps and diving lines, both underwater search techniques; the dolphin dive, used to gain momentum in shallow water by pushing off the lake bed with one's hands; and a neck and chin cradling technique used for victims with spine injuries.

"It's a major stepping-stone for everybody, learning all this," said Kurt Flewell, 14, of Santa Rosa, who joined mainly for the lifesaving techniques he could use as an Explorer Scout.

"On Monday, we had a bunch of kids come in," said Jim Hicks, recreation supervisor for Sonoma County Regional Parks and a camp organizer. "And now we have a group of young men and women dedicated to saving lives."

The weeklong day camp combined swimming, safety instruction, drills, fitness training and loads of fun, campers said.

It culminated Friday in four hours of competitive events like a run/swim/paddle course, swim relays, rescue race and beach flag -- a favorite campers likened to a bruising musical chairs-style game involving lots of diving on the sand and one-too-few flags.

"You are pushed to the limit in every event," said Colin Gibson, 14, a competitive swimmer for many years before signing on for lifeguard camp. "It was harder than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a breeze."

said, "I feel way more confident, and plus I love how they're not babying us. They're giving us real scenarios."

The pilot program is part of a larger, years-long effort by the Water Safety Committee of Sonoma County to reduce the number of drownings, particularly among Latinos, who represent 20 percent of the population but account for about 75 percent of local drowning deaths.

Now in its fifth year, a program called Vamos a Nadar ("Let's Go Swimming") has provided free and low-cost swimming and Spanish-language water-safety instruction to more than 200 Latino children, as well as parents.

A sister program, Vamos a ser Salvavidas ("Let's Be Lifeguards") provides free lifeguard training to bilingual teens.

Both are sponsored by the American Red Cross of Sonoma County in coordination with Regional Parks, the Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks Department, and other groups.

The junior lifeguard camp, Hicks said, is just another piece of the puzzle.

"We needed a feeder program for more open-water lifeguards," he said.

Though scholarships were available to encourage participation, the limit of 33 campers was filled up so quickly, organizers could only put aside four scholarship slots. The waiting list had another 10 or 15 people on it.

Coordinators already are talking about expanding the camp next year.

"We just didn't ever think it would get this big," said David Robinson, a county parks aquatic specialist. "We thought there'd be 10 people."

But several campers said they hope to return next year, one calling it "the best camp I've ever been to."

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.