A LIFEGUARD at a public swimming pool senses that the time may have finally come for him to perform an action that is neither sitting, standing or walking.
Ryan Whittaker, aged 20, spends eight hours a day, five days a week, closely monitoring swimmers ploughing up and down lanes none of whom are in need of even a moment’s assistance, but has a feeling in his bones his inactivity is about to come to an end.
He said: “Lifeguarding’s a waiting game. I’ve put in the hours, and my gut tells me my patience is about to pay off.
“The summer holidays are starting, the kids are out in force, they’re granted the use of floating mats for a heady 90 minutes a day of Fun Swim. There’s a real risk I might actually have to do my job, and I ain’t talking about blowing no whistle.
“It goes against everything we lifeguards stand for, abiding as we do by by a strict code of non-intervention like Attenborough filming nature. Only if someone gets into real trouble are we permitted to leap into action and throw our red floats.
“Today feels different though. The winds of change are blowing, and I’ve got a real feeling a bloke may get into trouble in the 15 per cent of the pool where he can’t easily stand up. Today, I save a life.”
Swimmer Eleanor Shaw said: “That guy in the tall chair… just blinked?”
