U.S. Coast Guard simulates rescue for junior lifeguards [PHOTOS]

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Photos by Ken Pagliaro and Kris Primacio

On Wednesday, U.S. Coast Guard pilots hovered about 20 feet above the ocean in an orange Coast Guard helicopter and simulated a rescue for 300 junior lifeguards in Manhattan Beach.

As junior guards ranging from nine to 17 years old watched from the sand with wide eyes, rescue swimmer Luke Johnson swam into the ocean and pretended to be a drowning victim. Lt. Joshua Murphy stayed on the sand, describing the scene unfolding to the students.

Coast Guard Lieutenants Bret Nichols and Mat Stuber steered the helicopter as a rescue diver jumped out into the ocean and flight mechanic Nate Hawkins lowered a basket to pick up the mock rescue victim. Johnson was hoisted up to the helicopter in the basket.

“It was just [like] Superman. Just the coolest thing I’d ever seen,” said Junior Lifeguard Instructor Kevin Barry, who helped coordinate the event with instructor Courtney Bannerman. “I never thought in a million years they’d be able to bring a helicopter down. For me, it was just a dream come true.”

Johnson was then lowered back into the ocean and swam to shore to further discuss the mock rescue with the students.

He told the students that he’d been a junior guard while growing up in San Diego, and that he also played water polo throughout college. “A lot of kids were able to relate to that,” Bannerman said.

Bannerman hoped her students were inspired by the simulation and introduced to a different career path. “They were super excited about it both because it was something they’d never seen before, but also because (the rescue path is) kind of another option for them,” Bannerman said. “It’s something they’ll probably remember forever and boast about to their friends.”

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