Another Day on the Job

Growing up, I spent my days swimming, surfing, or playing at Del Mar beach—a short walk from my family’s house. At eight, I joined the Junior Lifeguards, and, at ten, I added beach camp counselor to my summer repertoire. At the camp, run by my Kindergarten teacher, I made games out of which camper could find the most trash, who could name the marine mammals in our part of the Pacific, and who could be the kindest. I helped to foster a sense of respect for others as well as a respect for the earth and sea.

When I turned 15, I applied for a job as a Del Mar Lifeguard. After 80+ hours of safety and medical training, I became an Ocean Lifeguard. I have logged over 70 rescues, assisted with countless medical aids, and reunited many lost children with their parents. Last June, during a period of large waves and strong currents, I spotted an elderly couple in distress. The man bobbed above and below the surface trying to keep the woman afloat. I paddled out and put them on my rescue board and caught a wave to shore. On the sand I rolled the man over and cleared his lungs. The woman through tears hugged me and thanked me profusely. At work the following week I received a letter from the couple’s grandchildren thanking me for saving Nana and Papa’s life.

As a lifeguard I also help my community in unquantifiable ways. During my day while on patrol, I stop to pick up trash on the beach and in the ocean. I take time to connect with beach patrons and had the pleasure of witnessing a woman from Oklahoma enjoying her first-ever dip in the ocean. Near the end of this summer, I heard a voice calling up to me. A boy I had rescued from a rip earlier in the year looked up at me with a huge grin and shouted, “Look what I did, Maile.” In his hand a bag of trash he had collected from the beach.