Lifeguard Performance: A Remote Drowning Detection Training Tool

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of two distinct training protocols on the ability of lifeguards to detect drowning incidents effectively. The study employed a previously established animated drowning detection vigilance tool, which permitted the manipulation of factors such as the number of bathers and the duration of drowning events (Sharpe et al., 2023), alongside a dual n-back working memory (WM) training task (Jaeggi et al., 2008). The key finding of the study revealed that lifeguard-specific training resulted in a significant improvement in drowning detection performance, whereas WM training did not demonstrate any discernible effect on performance following the training period. These results underscore the importance of exposing lifeguards to diverse challenges associated with drowning detection, including variations in bather numbers, drowning durations, and locations, aspects that are presently not extensively covered in lifeguard certification programs. Given that a considerable proportion of lifeguards failed to identify all drowning scenarios during the baseline assessment, these findings emphasize the necessity for lifeguards to receive comprehensive training in drowning detection. It is imperative for future researchers to delve deeper into the mechanisms underlying successful and sustained drowning detection performance, thereby enriching our understanding of this critical aspect of lifeguarding.