‘We’re here to help’: N.S. lifeguards gather at training camp to prepare for summer season

Now that summer has officially begun, lifeguards attend a training camp to prepare for the busy season ahead.

More than 80 members of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service are gathering at Aylesford Lake and Brigadoon Village this week as part of training ahead of the 2025 beach season, which begins Wednesday at 24 supervised beaches across the province.

The camp includes rescue simulations, fitness testing, first aid training, spinal injury response and instruction on lifesaving equipment, all aimed at ensuring guards meet the National Waterfront standard through the Life Saving Society of Canada.

“We’re starting the first day of a four-day lifeguard training camp, so lifeguards from all over Nova Scotia beaches are coming here to Aylesford Lake to do some intense training, become certified as National Lifeguard Waterfront,” said Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service director Paul D’eon.

D’eon said the goal is not just to respond to emergencies, but to prevent them before they happen.

“We don’t want to make rescues, we want to stop rescues from having to happen, so interventions are the most important thing,” he said.

He said lifeguards are trained to respond to a wide range of incidents, from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies. He says incidents are broken down into four categories:

• minor water rescues
• major water rescues, which may require resuscitation and hospitalization
• those that require basic first aid
• person reported missing

“Lots of times, we’ll lose people, and parents will panic if they can’t find their kids,” said D’Eon. “We have a search procedure.”

He added last summer was particularly busy.

“Last year was our biggest year because we didn’t have any rainy days and our biggest population with the drought, and we had 158 incidents last year,” he said.

The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service typically sees between 100 and 110 incidents during an average season.

What are the most common risks?

As training continues, lifeguards say many of the most common risks stem from swimmers overestimating their abilities in the water.

“Definitely overestimating their ability is a very big one,” said lifeguard Brenna Mackinnon-Masservey, who has five years of experience.

She said rip currents remain one of the most frequent hazards at beach locations, along with environmental conditions that are often overlooked.

“A lot of people think they’re stronger than a rip current,” she said.

Mackinnon-Masservey also pointed to a lesser-known risk: sudden temperature change.

“People who just lay out in the sun all day long and get super hot, almost nearly complete exhaustion level, and then get in cold water really shocks their system, and that can be very dangerous to make them feel faint or make them feel dizzy,” she said.

‘We’re here to help’

First-year beach lifeguard Ezrie Button said she often sees swimmers hesitate to ask for help even when they need it.

“People tend to overestimate their swimming skills, which is OK, but people are a bit afraid to ask lifeguards for help sometimes. They’re a bit intimated,” she said.

“We’re here to help them, and if they have any questions or concerns, they can ask us … we’re going to help.”

Elite surf competitor Izzy Speiran, who has competed internationally in New Zealand, Australia, and France, said confidence and communication can make a major difference in preventing incidents.

“I think that people are sometimes afraid to ask questions,” she said. “If you’ve never really been at a beach before, you’ve never been at a pool before, you aren’t confident in your swimming skills, people feel nervous to ask questions, either to a lifeguard or somebody that they see as more experienced than them.”

Speiran said water safety is about accessibility as much as skill.

“The water is for everybody, even if you aren’t the most experienced swimmer. You just gotta reach out, ask for help, ask for a life jacket, ask for tips,” she said.

D’Eon said, in some cases, lifeguards actively intervene before a situation escalates, especially when swimmers push too far from shore or into unsafe conditions.

“We like to see only minor ones and we see people with video too far, and we’ll jump right on with swimming skills,” he said.

He also emphasized ongoing education and prevention measures, including lifeguard jacket loan programs at select beaches.

D’Eon said staffing levels are stable for the upcoming season, though some regions, especially southwestern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, continue to face recruitment challenges.

The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service will begin daily beach supervision on Canada Day, running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until August 30.

D’Eon said the message to beachgoers is simple: stay within designated swimming areas and recognize your limits.

“When you’re at the beach, swim between the red and yellow flags,” he said. “If you’re not sure of something, your lifeguards are there to help, and don’t overestimate your ability … stay safe.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page