SWAMPSCOTT — Families climbed aboard rescue boats, met lifeguards and sailing instructors, and learned about waterfront programs available this summer during the town’s first annual Water Safety Day on Friday afternoon at the yacht club.
The event, organized by the Swampscott Recreation Department in partnership with local public safety organizations, was designed to introduce residents to the people responsible for keeping the town’s beaches safe during the summer season.
This year’s event also coincided with International Water Safety Day, an annual awareness campaign focused on drowning prevention and water education observed every year on May 15. According to the CDC, drowning remains the leading cause of death for children under 4 years old in the United States, while formal swim lessons, lifejackets, supervision, and trained lifeguards all help reduce risk around the water.
“I think it’s really important for parents especially — and all citizens — to feel confident in the town and our ability to protect our beaches,” Recreation Director Charlotte Daher de Garcia said.
The afternoon included a hands-on touch-a-boat activity, where firefighters gave kids a tour of one of the town’s rescue boats, explaining how the fire department responds to emergencies in the water and showing off safety equipment and lifejackets.
Firefighter Sean McGovern said the event was an opportunity for residents to better understand how multiple agencies work together during emergencies on the water.
“We have the rescue boat in general, and we do all the medical aid that would come into town or any type of search and rescue,” McGovern said. “So it’s important for the community to understand the capabilities that we have.”
McGovern said communication remains one of the most important parts of staying safe at the beach.
“I just think overall … communicating with your group that you’re going into the water, to make sure people are looking out for you,” he said. “Having everybody on the same page working in the same direction and keeping everybody safe is the most important task.”
This summer, the Recreation Department will staff lifeguards at Fisherman’s, Eisman’s, and Phillips’ Beach between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. seven days a week, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Members of the lifeguard staff were also at Friday’s event. Christina O’Connor, the Recreation Department’s new program coordinator, said this year’s group of lifeguards brings a mix of experience and energy.
“It seems like all our lifeguards are really enthusiastic,” O’Connor said. “We have a lot — I know there’s a few folks that came over from different rec departments and the DCR which is great because they have that experience. But yeah, they also are really enthusiastic.”
Emryn McCarty, a new lifeguard and junior at Swampscott High School, is looking forward to a safe summer outside. She said the event was a good way for residents to develop a relationship with waterfront staff.
“I think it’s important for everyone to know the people that could be saving your life,” McCarty said.
Joey Pilotte, a Swampscott native and third-year lifeguard, agreed.
“I’m excited about meeting new people here in the community,” Pilotte said. “And helping everyone have a fun summer at the beach.”
“It seems like all our lifeguards are really enthusiastic. Christina O’Connor said.
The Recreation Department is also partnering with Wicked Safety Training, a Massachusetts-based safety and emergency response training company, to provide additional waterfront certification and open-water rescue training to the town’s lifeguards this summer.
“We’ve never done it before, but it just adds an additional layer of knowledge for the kids,” Daher de Garcia said. “Most kids, when they take their lifeguard exam, it’s in a pool setting.”
Wicked Safety offers Red Cross certifications for CPR, First Aid, Lifeguarding, and other safety-related certifications. They also attended Friday’s event, handing out breathing barrier keychains and information for those who may be interested in enrolling in safety training themselves.
“We’re running waterfront training with this whole staff and getting them ready for the season,” said Wicked Safety staff member Melissa Segal. “After training this weekend, they should all be certified for waterfront.”
Segal said the training includes hands-on rescue scenarios in the ocean. Lifeguards will run through live scenarios specific to Swampscott’s beaches, and go over how emergency response might look different on one of the town’s beaches compared to a pool setting.
The town’s sailing and paddleboard programs are also continuing to grow. Daher de Garcia said the sailing program is entering its 60th year, and the Recreation Department is expanding its stand-up paddleboard offerings this summer, including rentals operating out of Fisherman’s Beach.
Sailing instructor Max Asipenko, who has been sailing for about eight years, provided information on the sailing program to residents and did some common knot demonstrations with a boat rope. He said teaching on the water has become one of his favorite parts of the summer.
“I think it’s fun because I get to enjoy what I do,” Asipenko said. “I get to be on the ocean, and I get to teach kids at the same time.”
Parents who attended the event also said the event helped reinforce the importance of beach safety ahead of the busy summer season.
“We’re here to make sure that our son knows that we have a lot of folks in this town who are here to keep us safe and here to make sure that we’re making smart choices around the water,” resident Stacy Scofield said. “We love living at the beach, but beaches are also sometimes unpredictable.
For Daher de Garcia, that sense of familiarity and trust was one of the biggest goals of the event.
“We live in a special town. It’s a small town,” she said. “I just think it’s really important that everyone kind of gets to know each other so we can all feel better about the safety of it all.”
