As a lifeguard, it is extremely frustrating to have to watch two separate swimmers die in the water because I'm prohibited by law from retrieving them from the water after the crowd has cleared.

As a lifeguard, it sucks to watch someone drown in front of you. You feel completely impotent as you run your tower red flag and sound the alarm. In my dream scenario, I would leap into the water and attack the drowning person with all ferocity until they vomit out their water intake and live to swim another day. <br><br>But I'm not allowed to do that (anymore), at least not after the crowd has cleared out looking for a safe way to the shore. Two swimmers I watched got in the water when it was busy with people hanging out looking for someone to help their struggling friend. Now they are dead, all because I'm prohibited by law from entering the water to attempt a rescue.<br><br>When a swimmer has three minutes or less of visibility or is not visibly checking the water, I am allowed to enter the water. But I'm not allowed to start towards them until the crowd has cleared to the other side of the swimming area. By this time the struggling swimmer will have had four or five minutes of swimming, resulting in them being too exhausted to be saved. It also makes the location of the drowning person a guess, increasing the chances that it will take a couple tries to find them in the water, losing precious time and energy in the process. This law was passed so that, apparently, lifeguards are not to be allowed to touch anyone in the water and that someone on the beach has to awkwardly walk into the water to get the drowning person. Why they think this is better for anyone is beyond me. <br><br>I guess if I had to choose, getting to swim in the ocean would be nice.