CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A lifeguard shortage is impacting the operation of pools and the opening of a popular beach in the Charlotte area.

What You Need To Know

  • A lifeguard shortage is affecting recreational areas

  • One of the reasons potential employees say they are not becoming lifeguards is to enjoy a summer without stringent COVID-19 guidelines.

  • Mecklenburg County and companies managing pools are still searching for lifeguards.

The beach at Ramsey Creek Park in Mecklenburg County is closed until further notice.

Tenisha Jones from South Carolina drove to the park on Memorial Day hoping to enjoy a beach day with her son and a friend.

“We have been planning all week to come to Lake Norman,” Jones said.

They found out about the beach closure and the lifeguard shortage when they arrived at the park.

At the beach, signs inform visitors about the closure. In surrounding areas of the lake, signs warn people to stay out of the water.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is offering recruiting incentives, including raising pay to $15 an hour and a $500 sign-on bonus.

According to a Mecklenburg County spokeswoman, they need 16 lifeguards to open Ramsey Creek Beach and 21 to be fully staffed. If they reach one of those numbers, the county plans to reopen the beach in July.

The county is not alone regarding the shortage.

Carolina Pool Management, which trains and hires lifeguards to work at 150 pools in the Charlotte area, has also noticed the shortage.

“It has been trending for the last couple of years, and I would say this is the worst that we’ve seen it,” Carolina Pool Management President Jeff Gaeckle said.

Gaeckle said at the beginning of May, they had hired 490 lifeguards out of 550.

“We were in a good place,” Gaeckle said. “We were shocked to find out that 100 either no-showed, quit or just have not communicated with us at all.”

Gaeckle said some of the reasons contributing to the shortage included college students having internships that were not available last summer among others.

“Every time I go to a pool and visit with [lifeguards], I’m asking, you know, what is it that you like about this job? You know, where are your friends? And the one common thing I’m hearing is they just don’t want to work this summer because they’ve been cooped up, you know, for a good year, year and a half,” Gaeckle said.

Right now, some of the lifeguards are working extra hours.

“Our goal is for the customer not to feel it behind the curtains behind the scenes, you know. We are working hard, and it is a struggle every day,” Gaeckle said.

Gaeckle said Carolina Pool Management offers competitive pay and certifies lifeguards for free.

Carolina Pool Management and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation are currently hiring.