Please stand with California Lifeguards
Dear Aqualand Family,
Today, we're asking for your help.
As many of you know, Aqualand is more than a surf camp to us—it's a way to pass on a lifetime of ocean knowledge and help raise the next generation of safe, confident beachgoers.
But no matter how much we teach, professional lifeguards will always be essential.
Our family knows this firsthand.
Matty dedicated decades of his life to protecting California's beaches as an ocean lifeguard. Over the course of his career, he made hundreds of rescues, both on and off duty. He has witnessed tragedies, reunited families, and responded to emergencies that most beachgoers never even knew happened.
The truth is, California's beaches are only as enjoyable as they are because highly trained and capable lifeguards stand watch every day.
When someone is drowning...
When a child goes missing...
When a surfer suffers a spinal injury...
When CPR is needed on the sand...
It's often an ocean lifeguard who arrives first.
Despite that reality, California's open-water lifeguards are not formally recognized as first responders, even though they routinely perform the same lifesaving emergency work. A new California resolution seeks to change that by recognizing the role they already fulfill every day.
Here's How You Can Help
Please take one minute to sign the petition supporting recognition of California's open-water lifeguards as first responders.
Sign the petition here:
California Lifeguards as First Responders Petition
If you'd like to learn more about the proposed California resolution, you can read about it here:
Every signature helps demonstrate public support for the men and women who keep our beaches safe.
At Aqualand, we'll continue doing our part by teaching children to respect the ocean, recognize hazards, and become safer swimmers and surfers.
But education alone isn't enough.
We'll always need the lifeguards who run toward danger while everyone else runs away.
California simply wouldn't be the same without them.
Thank you for standing with the people who quietly save lives every day.
With gratitude,
Lesley Mitchell
Aqualand of the Free