A real drama, then Breakheart lifeguards drill

SAUGUS – Lifeguards at Breakheart Reservation have had a busy week warming up Monday with a real rescue while readying for a lifesaving drill on Tuesday.Lifeguard Daniela Baeza was on duty Monday when she spotted two men in the water beyond the roped off swimming area. Rangers came to remove the men but they had already headed out into the lake aiming for a rock on the opposite shore.While one made it to safety the second swimmer, Steven Poso, 20, of East Boston was beginning to struggle. Lifeguard Alex Ajede went in and with an assist from a colleague plucked Poso safely from the water.It was daring but the rescue was still easier than the mock drill Baeza, Ajede and their counterparts were put through Tuesday.Spearheaded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Breakheart Supervisor Anthony Guthro said they try and run at least one life saving rescue a year.This year’s event follows a fatal drowning that took place in Pearce Lake on June 9 in just about the same area as the mock rescue. However, there were no lifeguards on duty when that drowning took place.Guthro said June is always the month where park workers hold their breath and hope nothing happens. Because most of the lifeguards are students they rarely have them in place until the end of the month when schools are out for the summer.Around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, head lifeguard Dave Foreman swam out into Pearce Lake just beyond the ropes and sunk a weighted dummy. The lifeguards joked later that the dummy had no business trying to swim since it had no arms.When Waterfront Director Diane Serino announced over a walk-talkie there was a problem, a swimmer was missing, the dozen or so lifeguards sprang into action.Dick Stewart, DCR district manager kept time on a stopwatch as the scenario played out.Initially the lifeguards were a little chaotic, but they quickly fell into line, entered the water and began a systematic search while Guthro and Foreman coached them from shore.”Four minutes . . . five minutes . . . six minutes and four seconds,” Stewart announced as the lifeguards found the weighted dummy and brought it to shore.Guthro said six minutes gives them a fighting chance.Fire Chief James Blanchard, who arrived with the Fire Department’s dive team, just behind Cataldo Ambulance agrees.”Six minutes is pretty good time,” he said. “Six minutes is not the best but it’s not the worst. A person can be revived after six minutes.Serino and Guthro said they were pleased with the exercise but both said there was room for improvement.”There are a couple of things to work on but that’s why we did it,” Guthro said. “A couple of the lifeguards should have gone right into the water instead of everyone getting their masks first.”Guthro and Serino will meet with the lifeguards this morning to go over the scenario and discuss how things could have gone differently.”Then they’ll have it in their heads and they won’t forget next time,” Serino said.Foreman said he was happy with the way his staff performed.”There’s not much we could have done better,” he said.The lifeguards were pleased as well, though admitted it was a little intense.”Hopefully we’ll never have to do this for real,” Ajede said.