The U.S. is grappling with a national lifeguard shortage this summer — and New York City is dipping into an unusual talent pool.
Four rookie lifeguards over age 64 enrolled in the “notoriously challenging training program” this summer after the Parks Department broadened its recruitment approach, The New York Times reported.
Related: You May Have Fewer Options to Wade in the Water This Summer as Thousands of Lifeguard Chairs Are Left Unoccupied
In May, the Parks Department said it had hired and certified fewer than 500 lifeguards and hoped to have 900 by the time outdoor pools opened at the end of June, per Gothamist. According to the NYT, the number stands at 800 today.
The senior lifeguards will earn more than $21 an hour, but money aside, they’re embracing the opportunity to positively impact their community — and having fun doing it.
“I love it,” 69-year-old Daniel Kalmann, who’d quit his job as a bicycle tour guide and cut back on his credit-card processing business before picking up his whistle, told the NYT. “No device on me, just looking, looking, looking.”
Related: Retiree Starts Side Hustle Out of Boredom – It Now Pulls $3K a Week
New York City’s senior lifeguards are part of a growing number of older adults in the workforce. Roughly one in six retired Americans is considering getting a job, according to a recent study from Paychex.
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