Being a lifeguard 'amazing and rewarding'
Mar. 8—For Glynn County lifeguard Paris Wyland, the most memorable parts of the job are the first-time experiences.
"Your first experience with everything is really what gets you going in the job," Wyland said. "That's what makes it rewarding. Once you experience the first time it makes you more confident in your skills, your training and prepares you for what happens next."
Wyland, 25, joined up with the lifeguards in the summer of 2017 after meeting the head lifeguard, Shawn Lentini, who convinced her to apply for the program. A full-time recreation employee working toward a master's degree in sports and health sciences, she's gone through a few harrowing experiences in the time since she became a lifeguard.
"It was very nerve-wracking," she said. "That's kind of one thing that stands out to me, it's all nerve-wracking, it's all a first. When you get your first rescue, your first save, it all comes together and you start enjoying the whole thing."
Chief among those memorable moments was the time she and another lifeguard saved a family trying to make their way back to shore after getting stuck on a sandbar at Massengale Park.
"The tide was coming in, and the dad was carrying the baby and two kids were holding on to the mom and pulling her under and they were all getting stung by jellyfish," Wyland said.
Using rescue floats and a good bit of determination, they were able to save the family of five.
"(The mom) was really thankful because they were getting tired of holding the kids," she said.
Day-to-day, being a lifeguard can be pretty routine. Preparing for the season involves looking at the areas overseen by eight lifeguard stands on St. Simons Island and assigning equipment and personnel as needed.
Pre-summer season visitation can be a good indicator of which areas will be more popular and which have the most chance of needing rescuers. Massengale has ended up high on that list recently, she said.
"This season, we're kind of guessing Massengale is going to be a little more dangerous again," Wyland said. "Every summer, the most dangerous one has changed. Last season, it was part of Coast Guard (beach) and part Massengale. The sandbar we called 'The Point' is all the way toward King & Prince (Resort), so we're guessing Massengale is going to be more dangerous this year."
Finally, she mentioned the people. Working as lifeguards, you have to trust the people around you with your life, and you have to be comfortable with them relying on you, she said.
It can be daunting early on, but Wyland said it was more than anything "amazing and rewarding," joking that it was "90 percent fun and 10 percent serious."
"It also doesn't hurt that we're on the beach, enjoying the sun, getting to see dolphins and working with fun equipment," Wyland said.
The county is still looking for new lifeguards to fill out the summer roster. Interested individuals can apply online at glynncounty.org/jobs. Applicants should be age 16 or older and need lifeguard credentials from the American Red Cross and certification in CPR, first aid and waterfront. It's a seasonal position offering 40 hours a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
