Lifeguards compete in 5 events
SPARTA. The team from Culver Lake in Frankford won the overall competition while Lake Mohawk lifeguards, who won last year, took second overall.
Sparta /
| 22 Aug 2023 | 02:29
A Submerged Victim Team Scenario was one of five events in the annual Sussex County Lifeguard Competition. (Photos provided)
The Culver Lake lifeguard team won the competition. From left are Madeline Crowell, Victoria Sweeney, Harrison Cardinale, Heidi Van den Heuvel, Ryan VanOstenbridge, John Postma and Angela Appice.
From left are Lake Mohawk lifeguards Alicia Gaines, McKaela Reekie, Jake Koener, Gabe Harrison, Catherine Gaines and Ella Duphney. They placed second this year after winning last year.
Lifeguards from North Jersey converged on Lake Mohawk in Sparta on Monday night, Aug. 14 for the annual Sussex County Lifeguard Competition.
Teams from Lake Mohawk, Culver Lake, White Meadow Lake and Green Pond competed in speed, lifesaving and rescue skills.
White Meadow Lake in Rockaway Township was the host this year; the competition was moved to Lake Mohawk because White Meadow was closed because of algae.
Twenty-eight lifeguards competed in five events: a 400-yard Open Water Swim, a Run/Swim/Paddle/Kayak Relay, a Rescue Tube Relay, a Ring Buoy Relay and a Submerged Victim Team Scenario.
Lifeguards at Culver Lake in Frankford won the overall competition while Lake Mohawk lifeguards, who won last year, took second overall. Lifeguards at Green Pond in Rockaway were third by one point behind Lake Mohawk. White Meadow Lake lifeguards placed fourth.
Green Pond took an early lead, with Tara Wiarda first and Indyia Weinmann third in the 400-yard Open Water Swim. Maddie Crowell of Culver Lake was second.
John Postma of Culver Lake placed first in the men’s division with Jack Elsevier of Green Pond a close second.
All four teams led in at least one leg of the Run/Swim/Paddle/Kayak event. Heidi Van den Heuval of Culver Lake was the single female in the first leg.
Catherine Gaines of Lake Mohawk pulled it out in kayak at the finish again this year to win the event.
Culver Lake, Lake Mohawk and Green Pond lifeguards were close on the Rescue Tube Relay, with Culver taking first, Lake Mohawk second and Green Pond third.
The score changed again, with Green Pond taking first in the Ring Buoy Relay, Lake Mohawk second and Culver third.
The final event was the Submerged Victim Scenario, which test the lifeguards’ teamwork. While one entered the water and recovered a submerged manikin, then towed it to shore, the awaiting team was ready with backboard, bag valve masks and an automated external defibrillator to perform 10 minutes of high-performance team cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Culver Lake placed first with 19 of 20 points; Lake Mohawk was second with 18; Green Pond had 16; and White Meadow Lake had 15.
Cait Waxler, Chris Young and Rich Carlson of the American Red Cross were judges for the competition.