Des Plaines lifeguards win state title again

Just before the start of the Olympics, lifeguards with the Des Plaines Park District brought home some medals of their own, after winning the state lifeguard games, for the third straight year.

They successfully defended their title earlier this month at the competition hosted by the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association, at the Itasca Waterpark.

Turns out, the 12 teens who competed and represented the city, have a leg up on the competition.

All 12 are veteran lifeguards at Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center, the Des Plaines Park District's water park located at Rand Park, where they sometimes have to make up to 15 rescues, per day, they say.

"At a typical neighborhood pool, the lifeguards probably have to make two or three rescues - a season," says Lindsay Jozefat, 18, of Des Plaines, one of the four-member team, who took place overall.

In fact, Aquatics Director Jennifer Boys says that through last week, Mystic Waters had drawn more than 75,000 patrons this summer, or an average of 1,000 per day.

The total number of rescues through last week, was 183.

Her teammates included; Emily Potratz, Steve Sharp and Josh Swoboda, all of Park Ridge. The rest of the squad included: Brandon Ryah, Kari Rornes, Natalie Kaminski, and Kristie Essenberg, all of Des Plaines; as well as Billy Potratz, Brett Beaugureau, Caroline Park, and Jason Mata, all of Park Ridge.

Mystic Waters' amenities ­- two, 37-foot slides, a drop slide, cliff dives and 550-foot lazy river - make it appealing to children of all ages, but many are not skilled swimmers.

"We get a lot of camps that come during the summer," Jozefat says, "and many of the kids are unaware of how deep the water is."

Boys confirms that the majority of the rescues take place in the deep well t o assist non-swimmers, or at the diving platforms and drop slides.

"Our guards go through an intense training program at the beginning of each summer, and then practice those skills during in-service every day, prior to opening," Boys says.

Their experience came into play, as during the games, teams competed in a series of events designed to test their lifeguard skills, strength, speed, endurance and their ability to work as a team.

Jozefat and her teammates did well in the deep water rescue, as well as the so-called "cold weather relay," where each member had to swim 25 yards, clothed, and with a rescue tube, against the clock.

They also scored well in the spinal injury event, using their knowledge of how to safely extricate the victim, before using the backboard, and stabilizing them.

This was Jozefat's second summer working as a lifeguard at the water park. The 2008 Maine West High School graduate was a sectional qualifier in gymnastics, and she also competed in diving and track, and all while serving as student council president.

Consequently, it comes as no surprise that she took the state lifeguard games, seriously. After all, during the two last seasons, she made a total of 10 rescues herself, she says.

"All of our in-service and endurance training helped us in the competition," Jozefat says, "but having to make so many rescues also played a role. It just boosted our confidence, knowing we have already saved lives."