Politics & Government
Swampscott Lifeguards Are Here
Max Gold, the newest Swampscott lifeguard, shares his first impressions of guarding on the beaches.
Swampscott beachgoers should feel extra safe this summer because this year’s newest lifeguard comes with quite a bit of experience.
Max Gold is one of the few lifeguards in Swampscott that already has put his lifeguarding skills to use and has a few saves under his belt.
“I haven’t saved anyone here at the beaches so far this year," Gold said. "But I’ve had a few saves at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in the past."
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Gold, an 18-year-old sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, began his lifeguarding career at the JCC at 16 years old.
“I became a lifeguard initially because I thought it would be a fun and stress-free job,” Gold said. “I also wanted to have the ability of saving someone’s life and knowing that I was one of the few people that could do that.”
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Although lifeguarding at the beach might seem like a walk in the park, Gold thinks otherwise.
“I thought that guarding the beach would be easier than the pool but I’ve found it harder,” said Gold. “Guarding at a pool is much easier in the sense that it’s a lot smaller area with more guards.”
Swampscott lifeguards are not only in charge of scanning the water at all times but also keeping people from misbehaving and breaking the rules.
“Smoking, drinking alcohol and launching kayaks off the beach are activities that are not permitted at the beach,” Gold said. “Unfortunately, these are issues that we have to deal with on more than one occasion.”
Even though lifeguarding at the beach is more difficult, Gold said it definitely has it perks.
“I love being able to work with people I know," he said. "I’ve known the majority of these guys for most of my life."
Gold does not advise people who are not attentive or impatient to become a lifeguard any time soon.
“One of the hardest aspects of lifeguarding for me is staying alert and attentive,” he said. “It’s hard to sit in the sun all day if you can believe it.”
In his free time, Gold is an action-sport photographer. A few years ago, he was hired by pro skater Andy MacDonald.
