Public pool drowning puts spotlight on 'tough job and manpower crunch' faced by lifeguards

SINGAPORE — They are on their feet for at least seven hours a day and have to be on alert at all times, ready at any moment to plunge into a pool to rescue someone in need.

Lifeguards interviewed say their job is not easy, so not many people want to take it on as a long-term career — and this has ramifications for safety at public swimming pools.

Lifeguards, and the possible lack of them, came under the spotlight last month after the state coroner published the findings of her inquiry into the drowning of a six-year-old girl at Kallang Basin Swimming Complex (KBSC) last year.

The coroner ultimately found that Sherlyn Ler, who was in a swimming class at the time of the incident, drowned when her coach had his back turned towards her, but added that it was “timely” for the management of the swimming complex to conduct a risk assessment to determine the best lifeguard coverage of its pools.

A lifeguard in charge of the teaching pool had told the coroner that there was a manpower shortage at the swimming complex on the day of the incident.

An expert also said during the inquiry that while the standard operating procedure was satisfactory, he recommended that the facility deploy a pool guardian at the wading pool.  

When asked about whether there was a shortage of lifeguards at public swimming pools, a spokesman for Sport Singapore (SportSG), which manages the 26 public swimming complexes in Singapore, said: "I wouldn’t say we are looking for more lifeguards because we totally cannot run a swimming complex, or that we are really facing a shortage of staff. It’s not that extreme. But it’s always good to have more."

He added that the company is “always looking out for more lifeguards to join” their ranks.

SportSGnow employs over 360 full-time and part-time lifeguards.

WHAT LIFEGUARDS SAY

In December 2017, Sherlyn, who was 6, was found motionless during a group lesson at KBSC. The lifeguard-in-charge then was patrolling both the wading and teaching pools alone.

According to the coroner’s report, Mr Chia Ser Kian, the adult educator at the Lifeguard Academy, said the deployment of three lifeguards at KBSC on the day of the incident was “satisfactory”, but that he would have recommended a pool guardian be deployed to the wading pool.

“Ideally, as there are five lifeguard duty points at KBSC, the competition pool and the teaching pool should have had two lifeguards each and a third lifeguard assigned to the wading pool,” the coroner wrote.

Bill (not his real name), a part-time lifeguard for SportSG, said that from his observations, some swimming complexes just do not have enough manpower.

Another SportSG part-time lifeguard who spoke on condition of anonymity added that the number of lifeguards during his shifts has never been at the recommended amount. “The manpower is really not enough,” said Rob (not his real name). He added that the numbers are especially bad when lifeguards go on medical leave.

Tampines Swimming Complex centre manager Kenneth Seow said that it is “usually the case” that a lifeguard would have to work overtime three out of five days a week, from 8am to 7.30pm daily.

The toughest part of the job is responding to emergencies, after dealing with long hours of boredom, Bill said.

“If I panic... I could cost someone’s life.”

The long hours, demanding job scope and lack of career progression means that few consider lifeguarding a lifelong career.

It is quite common, Rob said, for lifeguards to do the job for a few years while completing their coaching certifications during their free time. When they get the certification, they move on to become swimming coaches, a better-paying job.

To begin with, the qualification needed to become a lifeguard are quite stringent.

All lifeguards in Singapore have to undergo a demanding three-to-six month course for the Bronze Medallion award.

To qualify for work at SportSG, lifeguards have to take up even more courses and tests.

“If they have the ability to pass (SportSG’s) swim test, they can pass the coaching course. Why not go for the higher pay?” Rob said. 

WHAT SPORTSG SAYS

While the usual practice is to have one lifeguard each patrolling the wading and teaching pools, SportSG said there is no hard and fast rule mandating this.

Mr Seow said: “If let’s say there’s a shortage of lifeguards, what happens is that we’ll get in the pool guardian.”

The role of a pool guardian is played by staff who are not lifeguards. They stand in whenever necessary to support the lifeguards by looking out for unsafe behaviour and answering public queries so that lifeguards can concentrate on their core duty, which is to assist swimmers in distress.

Mr Seow added that senior lifeguards and management often make judgement calls to reallocate lifeguards depending on how crowded different pools are.

The priority, however, is to always maintain two full-time lifeguards watching over the 50m competition pools at all times.

Complexes also sometimes decide to close off certain pools if there are not enough lifeguards on duty - but this is a last resort, SportSG added.

The supply of lifeguards is just one challenge.

The SportSG spokesman said that a bigger problem is ensuring that lifeguards comply with safety rules, including not using their mobile phones or performing other roles while on duty.

During the coroner’s inquiry into Sherlyn’s death, it was found that one lifeguard had been busy on his mobile phone while another was arranging chairs.

“We are deeply saddened,” said chief executive of SportSG Lim Teck Yin in a statement. “The incident has further strengthened our resolve to enhance measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

Safety audits have ramped up since the incident, SportSG added.

WE ARE NOT A “CHILDCARE CENTRE”

But parents and caregivers too, play a role, said SportSG and the lifeguards interviewed. 

In October 2018, a six-year-old girl drowned in a hotel pool at Festive Hotel in Sentosa. Hotel guests had been warned, by clear signage, that there was no lifeguard at the pools.

In that instance, the state coroner found that the girl had drowned because of a lack of adult supervision, as she had been left alone at the pool with no adult watching her.

The spokesman for SportSG said that some parents treat swimming complexes like “childcare centres” and feel that it is “the responsibility of another person-in-charge” to care for their children.

SportSG records more than seven million visits to their public pools each year. Its chief executive, Mr Lim, added that in 2017, there were 130 incidents that prompted assistance from lifeguards.

“We are committed to providing a safe environment for our people to enjoy their active lifestyle and we want everyone to join us and play their part to eliminate preventable incidents,” he said.

Parents whom TODAY spoke to said they have become more conscious about their children’s safety, even when the children are under the care of their swimming instructor.

“I try to stick around whenever I can. As a parent you always worry that something may happen to your child,” said Mdm Gerlyn Ang, 31, the mother of a five-year-old who takes swimming lessons.

Mdm Julia Abdul Khader, 39, said that swimming instructors could reduce class sizes to better watch over students. In her daughter’s class of eight, she observed that the instructor will sometimes inevitably have some children out of his line of sight.

“Anything can happen you see. It takes only about twenty to thirty seconds for a child to drown,” she added.

Others, like Ms Lynn Lin, 39, felt that it is safe to leave their children to attend classes without supervision. Ms Lin’s children, aged 11 and 13, have already attained gold-level swimming proficiency awards, and the lifeguards at the complex which they go to are vigilant, she said.

But Mr Seow cautioned against such an attitude, saying parents must play their part in watching their kids at the pool.

“We don’t single out your child (for attention and supervision), especially when a pool is crowded. At times we might miss out.”

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHERLYN SEAH