Dogs are being trained to help lifeguards pull people to safety
SCARBOROUGH, Maine (WGME) – With summer in full swing, many people are heading to the beach for vacation.
One community in southern Maine has enlisted some four-legged friends to help keep people safe.
Bell is a new lifeguard trainee in Scarborough. At just 10 weeks old, she is training to be a lifesaver.
Bell is one of a number of dogs being trained to help assist lifeguards in saving lives.
The Scarborough Beach Park manager said Bell swims in a pond a few times a week, and has already learned to fetch.
She watches what the bigger dogs do and tries to do what they are doing.
Bell is just beginning her training. Soon, she’ll be running alongside Scarborough’s other beach dogs as a trained second responder.
Her handler said dogs can pull in five people at a time, something a human lifeguard is not able to do.
In case there is a water rescue, a lifeguard will respond first.
A dog will then swim out to that lifeguard and pull the struggling swimmer back to shore.
The dogs also know how to navigate rip currents, which can be a common danger to swimmers.
While the dogs have not made any rescues yet, they are ready to spring into action if called upon.
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