A Lifeguard's Family Safety Tip
by Guard K
(Chicago)
As a lifeguard who often deals with lost kids (and the parents who have lost those children), there are two things you should do before going to the beach that would help immensely in case your child gets separated from you. (These two tips are also a good idea if you are enjoying the beach with an older/adult family member with a development delay or disability who might need help relocating their family, especially if the family member has a difficult time communicating with strangers.)
The first is to put some sort of contact information on your child. (This is assuming the child is not old enough to have your cell phone number/hotel room/etc. memorized.) This can be as simple as using a permanent marker to write your cell phone number on the back of their hand. Multiple online companies also sell things like waterproof bracelets, stickers, etc. that you can use. The important thing is to somehow make it possible for a friendly helper to contact you when your child is not able to memorize contact information. We are able to spot and approach lost kids, but if we have no way of contacting their parents, the best we can do is try to calm kids down and keep them safe until their parents walk by looking for them.
The second thing that would make lost child situations so much easier is having a picture of your child in the swimsuit they are wearing that day, as well as basic height, weight, and hair information. YOU know what your child looks like; to a lifeguard or someone else who's helping you look for your child, your basic description of your child includes about one out of every five kids. Swimsuits become the defining factor in the visual identification of kids at a beach, which is why it's so helpful to have a pictures of your child's suit. Being able to show us exactly what your child looks like makes us much more efficient when helping you search for your child.
