By Hannah Richardson, lifestyleeditor@natchitochestimes.com
It’s never too early to learn how to save lives and six local girls are a testament to that statement. The girls, aged 11-14, have been participating in a junior lifeguard camp this summer and have been learning hands-on lifeguarding techniques from American Red Cross instructor Katie Yandell at the NSU Recreation Complex Pool.
Yandell has been an instructor for 18 years and teaches her students how to perform life-saving techniques hands-on in the pool such as an active victim front rescue and rear rescue, passive victim rear rescue and more. The students also practice their swimming by doing 300 yard laps up and down the pool, treading water, learning more from their classroom portions of the camps and build their leaderships skills.
Yandell said the students also add their experiences to their resumes, proving the girls are already serious in their professional endeavors. The girls have been working Monday-Friday for the 10 full days of the camp.
The last day is Friday, July 27 and they will have completed their requirements for an American Red Cross CPR/AED/First Aid Certification good for a two-year period, which is a stepping-stone towards getting their lifeguard certification.
