Penticton pool staff honoured for January rescue

PENTICTON – Lifeguards who used CPR and an automated external defibrillator to save a woman who went into distress while swimming laps in January are being recognized for their actions.

Six lifeguards who were working at the Penticton Community Centre during the Jan. 15 incident where honoured by Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and city council this week.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. when one of the lifeguards noticed a patron swimming laps in the pool who required assistance.

Emergency protocols were initiated, and the swimmer was pulled, unresponsive, from the pool. Staff checked vital signs and used the pool’s defibrillator on the swimmer, along with CPR.

Multiple shocks were delivered to the victim, who began breathing on her own before being transported to the hospital by ambulance.

Staff recently connected with the swimmer, who was in Penticton Regional Hospital for 10 days before being airlifted to Victoria for extensive testing and the insertion of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

She is now looking forward to returning to work and the pool, in addition to moving on with her own life and watching her daughter graduate from Grade 7 this spring. She noted this would not be possible were it not for the response of the pool’s lifeguards.

All six lifeguards were on hand at Monday's council meeting, including Madison Head, Graeme Naish, Garret Naish, Michelle Jones, Diane Phillips, and head lifeguard Lisa O'Daly.

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