The Islander: Young Lifeguards Are A Saving Force On SPI
By R. Daniel Cavazos
Courtesy from Cameron County Beach Patrol, with F8E8 being rescuers Kaylie Castro and Noah Langs and Chief Arturo Hurtado; 64A9 and 6F38 are photos of the young lifeguards in action.
Today’s young athletes are bigger and stronger than ever in the view of Cameron County’s beach patrol chief Arturo Hurtado. These athletes become the lifeguards patrol the county beaches on South Padre Island.
All that vigor and skill was needed in mid-June when lifeguards Kaylie Castro and Noah Langs rescued seven people from Gulf of Mexico waters roiled by Tropical Storm Claudette.
Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The storm came nowhere near South Texas, but caused plenty of havoc as tropical systems do when making their way across the Gulf. Despite alerts and warnings, beach visitors at times wander too far from shore.
"It started with a mother and daughter," said Hurtado, the chief of Cameron County’s beach patrol. "Then some bystander tried to help, (and) then they got in trouble. These situations become a snowball."
Hurtado and his staff of 34 lifeguards are there to step in when conditions become too perilous. They strive to keep beach visitors out of harm’s way with flags and written explanations behind the banners to educate visitors on the dangers of Gulf waters.
It’s a heady task. On busy weekends – and Hurtado said this past summer was full of them – there are tens of thousands of beachgoers on the county’s three parks and four beach access areas.
Lifeguards stay continuously vigilant. It’s impossible to see everything. When an emergency hits, as with the June incident, every minute counts. Hurtado said his lifeguards, Castro and Langs, worked quickly and efficiently for 10 minutes to rescue seven people.
"They do a remarkable job," said Joe Vega, Cameron County’s parks and recreations director, of the lifeguards. "We all know there would be many more incidents if they weren’t there."
Their presence was needed more than ever last summer, which Hurtado described as being beyond hectic. Tourists got out-and-about after a year of being contained close to home due to COVID-19.
"It was like every weekend was a holiday weekend," Hurtado said at his office on Isla Blanca Park. "There were more visitors than I’ve ever seen."
Producing Great Swimmers
Hurtado, like his lifeguards, is a product of the high school swimming teams flourishing across the Rio Grande Valley.
The days of area high school swimmers practicing in outdoor city park pools are about over. Larger school districts have built natatoriums and it’s bolstering swim teams and producing better swimmers. It feeds into producing excellent lifeguards for the county’s beach patrol.
Courtesy of County Beach Patrol Facebook: Young lifeguards in action.
Hurtado himself is a product of the swim team at Brownville Rivera High School. The degree of athleticism needed for lifeguarding is reflected in the fact that not only does Hurtado swim at a high level, but he’s also an ultra-runner who competes in races up to 100 miles.
The stated qualifications to be a county lifeguard are to be at least 16 years old and swim 500 yards in 10 minutes. Upon hiring, the young lifeguards receive rigorous training, coaching, and work toward earning the needed national certifications.
On the job, they patrol beach areas outside of the city limits of South Padre Island.
Courtesy of County Beach Patrol Facebook
The lifeguards are young, but wise beyond their years given the responsibilities they assume. Hurtado describes many of them as being "very seasoned." Turnover is minimal among Hurtado’s staff. He describes the seasonal work of a beach lifeguard as being ideal for high school and college-age students.
The work starts around March with spring break activities. It goes up another level with Memorial Day weekend in late May. Through Labor Day in early September, it’s nothing but being busy for Hurtado and his lifeguards.
Listening To Words Of Wise
Hurtado is heartened that visitors in recent years have begun to listen more to the advice given by lifeguards.
"The culture was very resistant to our prevention efforts to keep them safe," he said. "It was a `don’t tell me what to do’ kind of attitude that we would get. Now we’re finding people are more willing to listen and be more accepting of what we advise."
Listen to the words of the wise, even if they are young, or you might find yourself depending on the youthful athletes on the lifeguard chairs to pull you out of danger or save your life.
Photo by Daniel Cavazos: Chief Arturo Hurtado at Isla Blanca Park
Photo by Daniel Cavazos: Flag and informational board on Isla Blanca Park
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Island Matters | P.O. Box 2778 | South Padre Island, TX 78597
