VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Volusia lifeguards rescued over 100 people from dangerous rip currents over the last few days.
It’s a tall task for the guards when when the crowds hit the beach. The county, like others along the coast, is facing a lifeguard shortage.
“When it gets crazy, we all want to be here and be helping out,” said lifeguard Connor Wiles.
The busy season is in full swing on the beaches now.
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“Any time you get to get in the water, and you get to save someone, you know deep down in your soul if you weren’t there or another Volusia county lifeguard wasn’t there, those people would have died. It’s one of the most rewarding things I think you could do with your life,” Wiles said.
Back in April, News 6 reported that the county was looking to hire 150 part time lifeguards. They just finished their final recruiting class and they are about 85 guards short still.
“Out here, you can’t have your phone up there. You have to detach from your friends from social media and just focus on the water,” said Captain AJ Miller.
Miller said the national lifeguard shortage is making them get creative to recruit younger generations. They already bumped up pay and bonuses last year and now they’re branching out.
“We’re hitting schools harder, we’re going to surf contests, we’re trying to open up to new outlets as far as recruiting goes that we’ve never done before to see if we can get a broader pool of applicants,” he said.
The job takes a lot of training and physical demands, especially when the rip currents are as strong as they’ve been this year.
Volusia Beach Safety reports it has rescued about 700 people so far this year.
“Now is when the rip currents really start firing up because we don’t have those big waves to counteract them. Now it gets more treacherous,” Mille said.
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