It wasn’t always like this though. If we go back in time, during the Age of Sail, we find that the only kind of lifeguards then, were people who were paid to rescue ship-wrecked sailors. Armed with little more than a row boat, this fearless group 
of people would row out, oft en in a wild storm to rescue sailors in danger. However, the advent of steam-ships and a general increase in the sturdiness of the sea vessels rendered them obsolete. The need for lifeguards began to be felt in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when going to the beach, surfing and swimming began to gain acceptance. With this development came the inevitable rise in water related fatalities. For instance, during one weekend in Newport Beach, California, in the early 1900s, 18 deaths were reported, the cause – drowning. Alarmed by this and other similar incidents, beach authorities and local bodies decided to set up life guarding services so that trained professionals would be on constant stand-by in case of an emergency. That was the start of lifeguards, as we know them today. Initially, reflecting their heritage, these early lifeguards were also equipped with long row boats. During emergencies they would row out and pull the victim into the boat before he drowned. Single rescues, popularised by Baywatch the world over, where a lone swimmer would swim out and save someone from drowning, were frowned upon, as the panicked victim presented a danger to everybody. This type of rescue was possible only much later when rescue buoys came into existence.
of people would row out, oft en in a wild storm to rescue sailors in danger. However, the advent of steam-ships and a general increase in the sturdiness of the sea vessels rendered them obsolete. The need for lifeguards began to be felt in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when going to the beach, surfing and swimming began to gain acceptance. With this development came the inevitable rise in water related fatalities. For instance, during one weekend in Newport Beach, California, in the early 1900s, 18 deaths were reported, the cause – drowning. Alarmed by this and other similar incidents, beach authorities and local bodies decided to set up life guarding services so that trained professionals would be on constant stand-by in case of an emergency. That was the start of lifeguards, as we know them today. Initially, reflecting their heritage, these early lifeguards were also equipped with long row boats. During emergencies they would row out and pull the victim into the boat before he drowned. Single rescues, popularised by Baywatch the world over, where a lone swimmer would swim out and save someone from drowning, were frowned upon, as the panicked victim presented a danger to everybody. This type of rescue was possible only much later when rescue buoys came into existence.For Complete IIPM Article, Click here
Source: IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Management Guru Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative
Source: IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Management Guru Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative
