Honolulu Junior Lifeguard program to be offered this summer
COURTESY HONOLULU EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Keiki ages 11 to 17 can take part in the free program.
COURTESY HONOLULU EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Participants in the Ocean Safety Division’s Junior Lifeguard program pose for a photo.
Honolulu’s Ocean Safety Division is once again offering its free Junior Lifeguard program this summer, which will be offered in week-long sessions throughout Oahu.
The six sessions, open to all keiki ages 11 to 17, will be held at Makaha, Nanakuli, Ehukai, Kailua, Ala Moana and Waimanalo Beach Parks. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at the six different sites.
Participants will learn ocean safety tips and valuable life-saving techniques from Honolulu’s lifeguards, including how to use rescue boards and rescue tubes, and how to respond to a person struggling in the water. They will also get an orientation on CPR and basic first aid.
Sign-ups will be available online, starting at 8 a.m. on May 1, on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We are excited to continue to grow this program,” said Honolulu Ocean Safety Chief John Titchen. “We’ve talked with many other lifeguarding organizations around the state, and on the continent, and have crafted a program that touches upon many of the same aspects that similar programs across the U.S. teach. Our program is unique, of course, to some of the more popular beach parks around our island and we look forward to the positive energy, and to see our lifeguards share their knowledge and experience with future generations of waterwomen and watermen.”
Many of the keiki that complete the program end up wanting to be lifeguards, he said.
“More importantly, we’re really sharing some important skills that they share with their friends,” he said, “that they share with their parents, and even with their community in terms of how to keep people safe, how to keep themselves safe.”
More than 300 children participated in the program last year, which offered five, week-long sessions around Oahu. This year, the division added a second session on the leeward coast.
The 2023 Junior Lifeguard Program sessions are as follows:
>> Makaha Beach Park, June 5-9
>> Nanakuli Beach Park, June 12-16
>> Ehukai Beach Park, June 19-23
>> Kailua Beach Park, June 26-30
>> Ala Moana Beach Park, July 10-14
>> Waimanalo Beach Park, July 17-21
