Lifeguards make swim saves

FORT SILL, Okla. -- It's over halfway through the summer months and the life guards at post pools and Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area have been busy with rescues and assists.

At Quinette Pool, five lifeguards have performed numerous rescues and assists.

Rachel Goleman performed one rescue and one assist. She rescued a young boy who was taking his swim test and became distressed. Goleman performed stride in entry, a front active drowning save, then swam the victim to the side of the pool, assisted him out of the water and performed a secondary assessment.

Goleman assisted a 4-year-old girl who jumped in the pool without wearing a lifejacket and became distressed. Goleman used the reaching assist technique with a tube, assisted the girl out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Chris Looney has already performed one rescue and three assists. He rescued a 7-year-old boy who jumped in the 4-foot area and immediately began struggling to swim. Looney performed a compact jump entry, used the active front drowning rescue technique, swam the victim to the side of the pool, assisted the boy out of the water and performed a secondary assessment.

Looney assisted a young boy who was struggling to swim to the wall. He performed a reaching assist, assisted the boy out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Looney also assisted two 9-year-old boys, who were struggling to reach and swim to the wall. Looney performed a reaching assist, assisted the boys out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Looney's third assist was a 6-year-old boy who became extremely tired and began struggling to swim. Looney performed a reaching assist to get the child to the side safely, assisted the boy out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Kateri Christopher performed a rescue at Quinette Pool. She rescued an 8-year-old girl who became distressed while swimming. Christopher used the slide-in entry, performed the active drowning front rescue technique, swam the victim to the side of the pool, assisted the girl out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Katie Ihle performed one rescue of a 7-year-old girl who became distressed while swimming across the 6-foot area. Ihle performed a stride-in entry, used the active drowning front rescue technique, swam the victim to the side of the pool, assisted the girl out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Katrina Fryc performed one rescue and four assists so far this summer. She rescued a 7-year-old girl who became distressed in the shallow end. Fryc performed a slide-in entry, used an active drowning front rescue technique, swam the victim to the side of the pool, assisted the girl out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Fryc assisted a 5-year-old girl who jumped off the diving board and had trouble swimming to the wall. Fryc performed a reaching assist technique to bring the girl to the side of the pool, assisted the girl out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Fryc also assisted a 2- to 5-year-old girl who was struggling to swim in the deep end. Fryc performed a reaching assist technique to bring the girl to the side of the pool, assisted the girl out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

She also assisted a 3 to 10-year-old boy who began struggling to reach the wall. She performed a reaching assist technique to bring the boy to the side of the pool, assisted the boy out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Fryc's fourth assist was a young male who began struggling in the 6-foot area. She performed a reaching assist to bring the boy safely to the side of the pool, assisted the boy out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

"Rinehart Pool has not seen any saves, rescues or assists yet this summer," said Jason Browning, aquatics supervisor as he knocked on wood. "But the Soldier and civilian staff members at Rinehart have had their fair share throughout the year... anything from dislocated shoulders and knocked out teeth to active drowning rescues and reaching assists."

According to Browning, when the pool was under repair, the staff opened Quinette Pool at 5 a.m. to accommodate PT and swim lessons, and there were rescues and assists performed there by the Soldier lifeguards on duty.

Pvt. Joemer Tapec, 696th Fires Support Company, performed four saves including three children and one adult.

One child became distressed in the shallow end, and Tapec used a slide-in entry, assisted the child to the side of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

One child became distressed in the deep end, so Tapec used a stride-in entry, assisted the child to the side of the pool while the child was resisting, assisted the child out of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

One adult became distressed in the deep end, so Tapec used a stride-in entry, assisted the adult to the side of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

One toddler became distressed in the shallow end, so Tapec used a compact jump, assisted the toddler to the side of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Staff Sgt. Samual Sargeant, C Company, 434th FA Brigade, performed four saves and one assist.

One save was a Soldier, who was conducting drown-proofing and panicked after jumping off of the high dive. Sargeant used a stride-in entry and rear rescue, and performed a secondary assessment.

Another Soldier, while conducting drown-proofing, panicked after jumping off of the high dive.

Sargeant used a stride-in entry and rear rescue, and performed a secondary assessment.

One Soldier panicked after jumping off of high dive while doing drown proofing, so Sargeant used a stride-in entry and rear rescue, then performed a secondary assessment.

Sargeant saved a toddler who exited the male locker room and jumped into the deep end. Sargeant used a reach-in assist, and performed a secondary assessment.

He also provided a Soldier with basic first aid after the Soldier became injured during water polo, which resulted in a chipped tooth.

He provided basic first aid for a Soldier that became injured during water polo resulting in a possible dislocated shoulder.

Cpl. Dawn Jacobi, A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 6th ADA, performed two saves.

A Soldier became distressed during aquatic physical training so Jacobi used a stride-in entry, assisted the Soldier to the side of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

A child became distressed in the deep end, so Jacobi used a slide-in entry and performed a secondary assessment.

One Soldier was provided basic first aid, and then the Emergency Medical Services was called for an injury from water polo resulting in a fractured tooth.

Jacobi provided one child with basic first aid for a cut on the top of the head and then directed other staff to call EMS.

Spc. Anthony Bigham, A/2-6th ADA, performed one save when a Soldier was distressed in the deep end of the pool. Bigham used a stride-in entry, assisted the Soldier to the side of the pool and performed a secondary assessment.

Spc. Kristopher Lisowski, B Battery, 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, performed an assist when a toddler who was in the shallow end of Quinette pool was distressed. Lisowski performed a compact jump entry, assisted the toddler to the side of the pool and performed a secondary assessment

The all-Soldier lifeguards at Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area beachfront including Pvt. 1st Class Amber Deshazo and Spcs. Pedro Gerena, Thomas Guarente and Elizabeth Romero, all rescued a victim who capsized kayak.

"Two men in the kayak decided to take off their lifejackets and intentionally flip the kayak," said Browning. "One of them could not swim. I was on site and saw this happen and sent the LETRA 3SU Soldier lifeguards into the lake to rescue the victim trying to cling to the overturned watercraft. They performed excellently. Then the patrol boat was dispatched out to retrieve the watercraft and the victim from the lifeguards. It's been a busy summer."