Family Sues Lifeguarding Company After Beachgoers Drowns While Rescuing Distressed Swimmers
Until you have done it, being a lifeguard looks like an easy job. What could be better than getting paid to sit in a beach chair all day and watch the swimmers? Yes, it is hot outside, but that is why you sit on a beach umbrella, and that is why you rotate your duties with other lifeguards and sometimes even close the swimming area entirely so that all the lifeguards can take a break and recharge. The amount of concentration and vigilance required is more than you can know. It is not like being a professional test proctor where, if you are distracted, and do not notice irregularities in time, the worst that can happen is that someone can cheat on an exam. Lifeguarding is a matter of life and death. In 2022, the lifeguards on duty on a South Carolina beach were distracted when swimmers needed them the most, and the result is that a visitor to Myrtle Beach died. If you got injured because a lifeguard who was supposed to be keeping an eye on the water was distracted, contact a Columbia premises liability lawyer.
The Dangers of Dual Role Lifeguarding
The lifeguards that work at many of South Carolina’s public beaches work on a dual role model, where one lifeguard may be responsible, during the same shift, for keeping an eye on the water and renting out equipment to beachgoers. This model has caused lifeguards to fail to notice swimmers in distress, leading to several drowning accidents in the past few years. After lawsuits by the drowning victims’ families, many beaches in South Carolina have abandoned the dual role system and ensured that, when lifeguards are watching the water, they have no other duties besides this.
In June 2022, Yannick Ngaleu traveled from his home in Maryland to celebrate his 21st birthday on Myrtle Beach. While he was on the beach, he saw a father and his young son struggling to stay afloat as they swam in the ocean. Yannick reacted before the lifeguard did, and he single-handedly helped the boy and his father get to safety. By the time any lifeguards got involved, the current had swept Yannick away, and rescuers found his body the next morning.
Yannick’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several companies that were involved in the hiring and management of lifeguards at the beach. The lawsuit did not name any public entities as defendants, although South Carolina has seen similar lawsuits against cities and counties when dangerous policies by lifeguarding companies led to fatal accidents. For example, Horry County settled a lawsuit with the family of Zerihum Wolde, who drowned in 2018 in similar circumstances to the ones that claimed Yannick Ngaleu’s life.
Let Us Help You Today
The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get adequate compensation after an accident at a beach guarded by lifeguards. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Sources:
wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/myrtle-beach/myrtle-beach-lifeguard-companies-responsible-for-maryland-mans-birthday-drowning-lawsuit-claims/
mocoshow.com/2022/06/18/yannick-deumeni-ngaleu-the-hero-who-died-on-his-21st-birthday-helping-save-a-father-and-son/
