Slow news day? Lifeguard gets fired...

[whitehall]

Everybody jumped on board when the lifeguard dude was fired for saving a drowning victim when it was determined that he was off his assigned post. Even Fox jumped on the (non) news story with an opinion designed to generate interest. The problem was that the apparent drowning victim was already saved when the lifeguard abandoned his post and ran down the beach to get in on the action. The corporation that runs the beach is responsible for the safety of bathers within a designated area and they risk being sued into the poorhouse when a lifeguard isn't at his post when somebody is in trouble so they did the right thing and fired the kid who didn't understand the rules. Slow news days might be fun but you gotta understand that the news ain't necessarily your friend. News sources often fudge data and withhold information in order to create a story.

 

[Ariux]

The lifeguard didn't know that the victim was out of the water when someone came to get his help. And, the lifeguard provided first aid.

The company that provides the lifeguard service is worried about liability. There's no liability in letting someone drown who is out of the lifeguard's bounds. But, any failed rescue attempt could result in a lawsuit. Just another problem with our litigious society.

 

[whitehall]

If a case was made that the person certainly would have died if the lifeguard didn't respond the lifeguard would have an issue but there is no claim that the lifeguard saved the person's life. First aid is a broad term and could indicate anything from a band aid to comforting words. Of course there is no liability if nothing happens in the lifeguard's zone of responsibility but the corporation would be out of business if one of their employees was absent from his post administering first aid in another area when someone was in trouble. Like it or not we live in a world of litigation and surfer dudes who want to be lifeguards need to understand the rules.

 

[G.T.]

The lifeguard didn't leave his water unattended, so there was no danger of a lawsuit and the CEO offered his job back and also is going to revise the policy on account of its impracticality.

 

[rightwinger]

The lifeguard didn't leave his water unattended, so there was no danger of a lawsuit and the CEO offered his job back and also is going to revise the policy on account of its impracticality.

Glad to see someone in that corporation is capable of applying some common sense. I don't know if it was a case of acknowledging someone doing the right thing or protecting the corporate image after some bad publicity

 

[whitehall]

The question is whether the lifeguard did the right thing. Once we get beyond the emotional issues and look at the real incident it seems that he left his post. If he actually offered assistance that saved a person's life he has a good case for leaving his post. If the swimmer was fine it seems he is guilty of poor judgement and jeopardized the lives of the swimmers he should have been supervising. Ronald Reagan never made a big deal about it and I bet not many people know that Dutch Reagan is credited with saving 77 lives when he was a lifeguard for 7 years during the 20's.

 

[G.T.]

The question is whether the lifeguard did the right thing. Once we get beyond the emotional issues and look at the real incident it seems that he left his post. If he actually offered assistance that saved a person's life he has a good case for leaving his post. If the swimmer was fine it seems he is guilty of poor judgement and jeopardized the lives of the swimmers he should have been supervising. Ronald Reagan never made a big deal about it and I bet not many people know that Dutch Reagan is credited with saving 77 lives when he was a lifeguard for 7 years during the 20's.

he had his post covered before he left it.

jeebus christ. what a waste of paragraphs you employ when you dont have the basic facts of what occured.

watch the erin burnett interview with the kid and his ceo.

 

[rightwinger]

Any human being should realize it is more important to save a life than remain on your lifeguard post. Even a 21 year old knew, fuck the job, someone needs my help

What did the company expect him to do when someone runs up and says "There is a man drowning over there!"??

Sorry, not my job, company policy

 

[G.T.]

Any human being should realize it is more important to save a life than remain on your lifeguard post. Even a 21 year old knew, fuck the job, someone needs my help

What did the company expect him to do when someone runs up and says "There is a man drowning over there!"??

Sorry, not my job, company policy

And he even had the wherewithall to make sure that his water was covered by another guard before he took off.

He's a good kid.

 

[whitehall]

The question is whether the lifeguard did the right thing. Once we get beyond the emotional issues and look at the real incident it seems that he left his post. If he actually offered assistance that saved a person's life he has a good case for leaving his post. If the swimmer was fine it seems he is guilty of poor judgement and jeopardized the lives of the swimmers he should have been supervising. Ronald Reagan never made a big deal about it and I bet not many people know that Dutch Reagan is credited with saving 77 lives when he was a lifeguard for 7 years during the 20's.

he had his post covered before he left it.

jeebus christ. what a waste of paragraphs you employ when you dont have the basic facts of what occured.

watch the erin burnett interview with the kid and his ceo.

He didn't get paid to "have his post covered". He apparently agreed to terms of employment that made sure he was at his post.

 

[G.T.]

The question is whether the lifeguard did the right thing. Once we get beyond the emotional issues and look at the real incident it seems that he left his post. If he actually offered assistance that saved a person's life he has a good case for leaving his post. If the swimmer was fine it seems he is guilty of poor judgement and jeopardized the lives of the swimmers he should have been supervising. Ronald Reagan never made a big deal about it and I bet not many people know that Dutch Reagan is credited with saving 77 lives when he was a lifeguard for 7 years during the 20's.

he had his post covered before he left it.

jeebus christ. what a waste of paragraphs you employ when you dont have the basic facts of what occured.

watch the erin burnett interview with the kid and his ceo.

He didn't get paid to "have his post covered". He apparently agreed to terms of employment that made sure he was at his post.

Therein lies the crux of your argument: no answer is good enough.

You first think it's wrong that he left his waters unattended, then when you find out that he in fact did not leave his waters unattended but acquired coverage from a co-worker, you make the above snivelling comment.

Sit the fuck down.

 

[rightwinger]

Ellis Management is in deep shit and they know it. Seven lifeguards were either fired or quit because of the incident. Ellis has apologized and offered them their jobs back and none will take it.
The reason is they do not want to work for a company that would turn its back on someone who is drowning.

Who would hire this company in the future?

 

[whitehall]

The corporation is in trouble because the media made a federal case out of it. Let them quit. There must be a hundred surfer dudes who would be standing in line for the job.

 

[rightwinger]

The corporation is in trouble because the media made a federal case out of it. Let them quit. There must be a hundred surfer dudes who would be standing in line for the job.

You can't get over bad publicity and Ellis Management stepped into a shitload of it

A Lifeguard company that orders its employees to let people die. Makes you want to go out and hire their service doesn't it?

Media made a federal case about it because a lifeguard getting fired for trying to save a life is a good story. Good guy...Bad guy

Guess who the bad guy is?

 

[Ravi]

This is what comes of privatizing government services.

 

[Ravi]

I seriously doubt Ronnie saved 77 people in 7 years. Damn, he started lying young.

 

[initforme]

Glad to hear the company is in trouble. Either straighten up and treat your employees with the utmost integrity or fire the CEO and all the managers. Keep the workers, you know, the ones that actually do the work.

 

[Rozman]

Imagine the press if this lifeguard refused to abandon his post
and the guy got eaten by a huge shark...

 

[hjmick]

Kid's getting the key to the city...

 

[whitehall]

I rest my case about the slow news day. What happened to the story?