Nationwide Lifeguard Shortage Could Force Half of US Pools to Close, Reduce Hours This Summer

Lifeguards watch people enjoying the beach on a hot summer day in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on July 27, 2019. (Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images)

A nationwide lifeguard shortage threatens to shut down beaches and pools ahead of the busy summer holiday season, experts have warned.

Across the United States, roughly 50 percent of 309,000 public pools could be forced to close or reduce their hours if they do not find adequate staffing, Wyatt Werneth, spokesman for the American Lifeguard Association (ALA), told NPR.

Beaches, water parks, and a string of other venues may also be at risk of closures or reduced hours, according to the ALA.

Speaking to Fox News, Werneth said the “critical” shortages began years ago, noting that previously there would be “hundreds” of people vying for just two open vacancies but that these days, officials are seeing “two people for a hundred positions.”

Werneth noted that the pandemic had worsened the situation, as had stagnant pay and a lengthy training process.

“The pandemic really put a halt to it,” Werneth said of the decline in staff. “I think there’s been a lack of interest over the years but after the pandemic, it all stopped, there weren’t any people coming out and experiencing how great it was [to be a lifeguard], and we do rely on a lot of people to go back and talk about it, word of mouth, and we had none of that over a year so we don’t have hardly anyone coming out this time.”

While the closures could dash hopes of some family fun in the sun, experts are growing increasingly concerned that some facilities may continue to operate over the summer period even if they are not adequately staffed.

Drownings Increasing

Meanwhile, canceled swimming lessons could have further implications, leading to increased drownings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 years and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children aged 5 to 14 years.

Every year in the United States, there are an estimated 4,000 fatal drowning incidents, with an average of 11 per day, and 8,000 nonfatal drowning incidents, with an average of 22 per day, according to the CDC.

A 2022 report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed nonfatal drowning injuries related to pools and spas increased 17 percent from 2020 to 2021 for children under 15 years old, with 6,800 injuries reported, compared to 5,800 injuries in 2020.

On average, from 2019 through 2021, 80 percent of children treated in emergency departments for pool or spa-related nonfatal drowning injuries were younger than 5 years of age.

Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, told Axios that “unfortunately, we can’t say until we get probably five to six years’ worth of data that a new trend has been established, but all signs point that our drowning numbers are remaining steady post-COVID at this higher rate.”

States Launch Incentives

In an effort to ensure pools throughout the country are adequately staffed this summer and beyond, departments and agencies have launched a number of incentives.

In New York City, the hourly pay for new and second-year lifeguards increased from $16.10 to $21.26 in April and now includes a $1,000 bonus for working throughout the summer, Gothamist reported.

Children will also be able to take part in swimming lessons, on a limited basis, at no cost.

In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis recently announced a new lifeguard training program that allocates more than $250,000 in grants to local governments with public pools or public swimming beaches to ensure they have trained staff and can stay open longer.

In Philadelphia, the city began accepting applications for lifeguard roles in January, and even individuals with no prior swimming experience can apply, according to Philadelphia magazine.

In Denver, some senior citizens have stepped in to train swimmers amid shortages.

“Lifeguarding is a very unique public safety service where we have the opportunity to stop people before they get into danger,” Werneth told Fox News. “There are so many things about lifeguarding that are so rewarding.”