Ice Lollies and Lifeguards

The first thing Kaylee noticed was the sticky, mucky warmth across her forefinger, as the bottom of the ice lolly she was holding finally succumbed to the inferno of sunlight battering down on them all.

The second was the scream.

There was a name in the sound, but the woman’s desperation drowned out the syllables. She stood down at the water's edge, hands cupped around her mouth. Just in the surf there was some manic splashing, and Kaylee felt a flood of relief as she saw a gangly man wading forward.

That's okay, Kaylee thought, the man will sort it.

But then the cry went up along the beach, more yells of help and shouts for the lifeguard. That was when Kaylee looked further out to sea, and saw the little dot, so much further out. If it wasn’t for all the activity on shore she’d have assumed it was nothing more than a beach ball that had been swept away. Beach litter, stolen by the curious sea.

The lukewarm mess reached Kaylee’s middle finger.

As news of trouble spread the general buzz of noise on the beach got louder. Although she was trying not to be interested, and dreaded seeing the full outcome, people started to get in Kaylee’s way. Deciding that hearing but not seeing was far worse, she ducked between the other on-lookers until she found a decent vantage point again.

Being nearer the surf now she could catch snatches of conversation.

“He’s not a good swimmer-”

“I’ve not seen him come up for air-”

“Did he have any inflatables with him-”

“Who went after him-”

“Where the hell are the lifeguards-”

On cue, charging down the sand like stampeding angels, came the lifeguards. There was a flash of bright yellow as they darted past and dived into the water. Kaylee let out the breath she’d not realised she’d been holding.

It’s alright, she thought, the lifeguards will save him.

The fluorescence of the guards’ uniforms caught the sun as they powered through the water, while a third one stayed on the beach and radioed even more back-up. Though she knew it sounded cynical, Kaylee couldn’t help but be impressed with how many people were mobilising to help. Especially as nothing had been seen of the lost child for a minute or so.

The gummy sweetness reached Kaylee’s ring finger, and spun round it in a forgotten promise of the treat in her hand.

One of the lifeguards reached the man who had tried the first attempt. There was more desperate thrashing, and even at this distance it was clear that the father was still trying to keep looking. His own head kept bobbing beneath the surface though, and the lifeguard knew what the priorities had to be. Both father and lifeguard were clawing their way back to shore when the second guard swam past, still powering as though his own life depended on it.

Some of those on the beach started cheering, all the latecomers who thought the man was the one who'd needed rescuing. It was only when the woman on the shore wailed and collapsed to her knees that they realised the uncomfortable truth. A few shuffled their feet and another wave of whispers went up. In amongst the sounds there were a collection of tuts and ‘shouldn’t have let him go out that far’s, but their friends at least had tact, and the judgemental were led away.

Although there were a few people already around the mourner, most of them were in some degree of shock as well. A couple of others now detached themselves from the crowd and came to offer support, which was a welcome relief for the remaining lifeguard. Instead of having to do crowd control with one arm, before turning away to speak to Control, he left the family and friends of the lost child in the care of the strangers. Amongst all the hubbub of the crowd and the occasional wail from the fearful, the lifeguard's level voice cut through it all, like a teacher berating a rowdy class of children.

The father was being dragged back onto solid ground now, and Kaylee flicked her eyes between that and the lifeguard still out at sea. She’d hope that the parents would embrace, and seek solidarity together. The mother was still being comforted by strangers though, and she left her child’s father to cough and splutter alone in the surf.

Ouch, Kaylee thought.

A new wave of excitement raced through the crowd and Kaylee forgot the problem-laden couple. Out to sea the lifeguard was getting close to where the boy had last been seen, and also to the edges of the safe zone. Now he bobbed with one hand on the buoy that marked deep water. Beyond that the surface belonged to boats, and the deeps belonged to the stuff of dreams and nightmares.

A few people on the shore started trying to call out and guide the lifeguard, but if any of the messages got through the guard didn’t act on them. He hauled himself further up on the buoy, an attempt to get clear of the water, but was thwarted by the lashing waves that reigned that far out. He slipped and got submerged himself, to a collective intake of breath from the watchers.

When the lifeguard emerged again there was a faint cheer, until the guard started the desperate search again and the crowd realised it wasn’t over yet. A few people on the edges lost patience with the drama and wandered off to take advantage of the distraction. Another lot started to see where the story would end, and carefully excused themselves before they saw more than they could cope with.

Kaylee was about to turn and head back to her parents when she saw something in the water. It was just a flash, nothing more than a speck of darkness. She drew a deep breath.

The abandoned fruit juices melted down Kaylee’s pinky before dripping to the baking sand.

“LEFT!” she screamed.

The outburst blasted across the beach, shattering the other sounds until it was only the cawing seagulls that were speaking. It left Kaylee bent double and seeing stars, and her throat was crackly and sore. The people nearest her slammed their hands over their ears and leapt away.

But the lifeguard went left.

Kaylee was still recovering so didn’t see what happened. She heard though; the cheers, the co-ordinated efforts of forming a chain to help them back to shore, the cries of the mother when she could hold her child again. Next came the screaming of the ambulance, better late than never.

With the theatre over the crowds started departing quickly. There’s only so much time people have spare after all, and there was still beach and sun to enjoy. Besides, the show had ended well, and everyone walked off feeling all the better for that.

Kaylee was one of the last to turn, still trying to swallow and get some moisture into her mouth after the scream. Before she could get far though the ‘hero’ lifeguard came up to her.

“You were the one who shouted to me, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” she croaked and waved an apologetic hand at her throat.

His eyes fell to the ice lolly stick in her hand and he grinned at her. “Come on. At the very least I think I owe you another one of those.”