CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With just weeks out from Spring Break, cities like Port Aransas are preparing for the tidal wave of families and students.
The city of Port Aransas keeps a small number of full-time lifeguards on duty year-round, but, with Spring Break and the Summer tourism season coming up, they say they need about two dozen people to help them patrol.
3NEWS caught up with head lifeguard Cameron Ainsworth as he was doing water rescue practice at Horace Caldwell Pier. This is part of his training regimen leading up to Spring Break.
"We put in full effort every single rescue we do so, we are putting everything into it and getting out there in time to save whoever needs saving," Ainsworth said. "We are making sure we are in physical condition to do so."
These are the Port Aransas lifeguard program stats for 2023:
- Tourist contact - 9,127
- Lost/found person - 42
- Jellyfish stings - 1,663
- Swimmers moved - 436
- Minor medical - 102
- Major medical - 27
- Jetski rescues - 32
- Drownings - 0
Everything from the number of people they spoke with to the number of medical emergencies and rescues are included. The best stat is that there were no drownings. Another head Port Aransas lifeguard, Derik Boles, has been on a number of those rescues.
"The first couple of times your heart is racing, your adrenaline is pumping, but after being on the beach for a while, you become so confident in your abilities you know you can get to the patron who needs your help in time," Boles said.
Surf Rescue Manager Matt Calvert said the city needs help trying to hire more lifeguards to ensure everyone's safety on the beach. He said some requirements include being able to do a 500-meter swim in under 10 minutes.
"We have at least 20 positions available and we encourage everybody who has any kind of interest to come and find out do a swim test get to know us go through the training at the very least you will get an Emergency Medical Responder certification."
If anyone is interested, all they have to do is call the city or the Surf Rescue Office. The starting salary is just a little over $18 an hour.
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