Open letter to Minnesota lifeguard who saved boy's life

A scare at a Washington County swim pond caused a little boy to briefly lose consciousness while he was being pulled out of the water.  Thankfully, a lifeguard was paying attention, and now a thank you letter to that lifeguard is getting nationwide attention.

“I personally have never witnessed anything like that,” Amy Zellmer, who wrote the letter, said.

Last Thursday while enjoying the swim pond at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve, Zellmer witnessed a lifeguard save the life of a 5-year-old boy who had wandered into the deep end.

“My girlfriend and I noticed at the same time that the little boy was bobbing in and out of the water,” Zellmer said. “And she [the lifeguard] got in and got him out and we could see he was limp, and she started to do some compressions.”

Washington County Park Director John Elholm said it was obvious to everyone that the lifeguard did everything she was trained to do.

“This started out as an assist, the child was conscious to her when she was talking to him in the water then he passed out getting to shore and came conscious again on shore,” he said.

Zellmer, who happens to be a contributor for the Huffington Post, decided to write an open letter to the lifeguard that has been since been shared and read thousands of times. Essentially, it’s a thank you to one lifeguard acknowledging the huge responsibility all guards share at pools and beaches nationwide.

“Dear Lifeguard, I don't know your name, and I'm guessing that you are about high school age," the letter begins. "I witnessed you in action yesterday as you saved a little boy from drowning at Lake Elmo beach. I want you to know how proud I am of you and your efforts. I know it's your ‘job’ but it's also your worst fear. No one can ever have enough training to prepare you for what this moment will actually feel like, but because of you, this little boy is home playing with his family today.”

FULL LETTER HERE- Huffington Post: An Open Letter To The Lifeguard