VERO BEACH — Members and supporters of the nonprofit Vero Beach Lifeguard Association gathered Saturday evening at the Blue Star Wine Bar to celebrate their most recent budgetary reprieve.
Their livelihood, and ultimately the lives of residents and tourists alike, had once again been threatened by budget cuts.
The oft-repeated question of the night – “With local beaches promoted as the major draw for tourism, residents and businesses, how can it not be cost effective to keep them safe?”
For the moment local beaches will continue to be guarded – at least in Vero Beach. In October, 2010, Indian River County Commissioners eliminated lifeguard protection at the Treasure Shores Beach.
Seven full-time and 10 part-time lifeguards watch over Humiston Park beach from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and both Jaycee and South Beach from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, plus guarding the Leisure Square pool.
“This year we had no changes, but over the last seven years our workforce has been cut at least 30 percent, on top losing hours at Humiston,” said lead lifeguard Josh Harris.
Monthly beach reports indicate that from just January through May, 2013, Vero lifeguards made 26 rescues and close to 6,000 preventive actions, treated 147 minor medical incidents on-site, and called in emergency medical personnel for help with another 11.
Despite an increase in beach traffic, when City Manager Jim O’Connor directed Recreation director Rob Slezak to propose budget cuts of either 10.9 or 14.9 percent, he suggested eliminating lifeguard service Tuesdays and Wednesdays from two beaches; if directed to cut the greater amount, also laying off three full-time guards.
To compensate for monetary shortfalls, lifeguards have devised inventive ways to raise money to replace or update equipment, including the VBLA Poker Run Bar Crawl, scheduled this year for Sept. 1.
Their most recent donation to the City was $1,752 for a rescue skid which attaches to an all-terrain vehicle allowing victims to be quickly transported to emergency vehicles.
Toomsoo and other rescuers were honored in June for their heroics in saving German tourist Karin Stei last May, when a shark took a life-threatening bite out of her thigh. National Geographic will air a program about the attack and rescue at 10 p.m. August 8.
On a sadder note, the disappearance on May 31 of a 22-year old tourist from Hawaii, swimming at South Beach outside guarded hours, only serves to emphasize the importance of swimming where lifeguards are present – especially when the waters are fraught with strong rip currents.
“We want to thank the City Council for not cutting us,” said VLBA president Eric Toomsoo. “It was a unanimous vote not to cut funding. Some gain is a victory at this point.”
