I’m so close to falling asleep but I’m thinking about this stupid memory of this lifeguard and this drowning kid.
Those big inflatable courses they put in pools for kids, you run down them and try not slip off. We were at Belper Swimming Pool on the summer hols, I was like 8?
we’re there with my mum. Best thing about guzman being a teacher was we got her the whole summer holiday because she was off too. Anyway. I’ve been down the thing close to 100 times so I call a time out and go sit poolside with my mum, sipping a fruitshoot like a good little lad. There’s this family, Mum Dad and Daughter. The daughter is maybe 6? She runs down the obstacles course, falls off, splash. Everyone waits. Still waiting. Kid doesn’t surface. There was maybe 5 lifeguards, 4 teenagers and 1 older lady. I’m looking over to the group of lifeguards like yo she gonna die??? Older lady lifeguards blows the whistle, jumps in and drags the kid out. Parents freaking out, we’re all stood watching in amazement, only time in my life I’ve ever seen a lifeguard get wet. Kid is taken away by parents.
For context, cost like 6 quid a kid to join this thing. Everyone gets back to their business, kids a bit more excited because this shit now seems dangerous.
10 minutes pass and the parents of the girl go up to the main lifeguard they’re saying they want their 6 quids worth, they want their kid to have another go, because she only got to go on once. The lifeguard is like are you out of your fucking minds, she can’t swim. They’re asking if she can be helped again, like the lifeguard is there as part of the package like 6 quid and we’ll save your kids life.
My mums in hysterics wondering why they’re even entertaining this conversation, what parent in their right mind would risk their child’s life over 6 quid? What parent doesn’t even know their kid can’t swim?!
I felt kind of bad for the girl, i can still see the actions she was making under the water when she went in, like full arm movements but just not moving, her little legs frantically jiggling back and forth.
I’m laughing now even thinking about it, like what the fuck? Core memory, core memory.