Last Tuesday I posted a picture from the Columbus Dispatch of a lifeguard superfluously wearing flip-flops in the lifeguard chair. Right after I posted that, I saw that day’s Dispatch.
And what did I see on their front page story about a lifeguard shortage?
This picture:
Lifeguard KayCee Dysart keeps an eye on George Wilder as he dives into the Marion-Franklin Pool. Wilder might have gone to the closer Lincoln Pool had it been open.
It’s as if it’s an epidemic.
Hey, at least the guy diving in the water is barefoot. These days you just never know.
The only explanation I can come up with is that maybe the lifeguard’s ladder and platform, which appear to be made of aluminum, could get blisteringly hot in the summer sun, although there is an umbrella attached. Otherwise a lifeguard wearing shoes, or even a shirt like this woman has on, is a potential hindrance to any rescue efforts.
I wonder, if something happens, is she going to the rescue in her flipflops, or is she supposed to discard them first?