Story and photos by Sue Norton, Communications Volunteer
With the summer in full swing, this American Red Cross story reminds us why promoting water safety can help save a life or two.
It was Sunday, July 27th, 2022 and a hot summer day meant another busy day at Lynn Deming Park in New Milford, Connecticut. Aiden Mulligan-Brown, a high school senior at the time, was in his second year working as a lifeguard in the park’s swimming area.
Aiden was a swimmer growing up and was inspired by his swim coach to become a lifeguard. He received his lifeguard and water safety training through the American Red Cross.
The lake at Lynn Deming Park is not your typical crystal-clear pool, it is an open-water lake and visibility is not ideal. Aiden recalls facing several challenges that day “I was getting up into the chair for the last shift,” he said. “It was a very busy day, very hot temperatures and the lake drops off pretty deep in the swim area.”
The lifeguards at this popular lake area are well trained and practice many rescue scenarios but the true test is when the real thing happens.
As Aiden scanned the people in the swimming area, he spotted a father and his young child swimming in deeper water. The lifeguard before him had warned him to keep a close eye on them. The toddler was on the father’s shoulders, the extra weight causing him to sink and struggle. To make matters worse, as they struggled, the child became separated from the father.
In a matter of seconds, Aiden’s training was put into action, and he realized he needed to move quickly.
“All of a sudden, they started sinking lower and lower. I knew it was serious and I blew my whistle to alert others, leaped out of the chair and ran into the water and performed the rescue. I gave my flotation device to the father and rescued the child, brought him back to shore and then helped the father get back to shore,” said Aiden.
Lifeguarding is a big responsibility, especially for anyone, especially a teenager. “You are worrying about 50 to 100 people in the water and you can’t lose track of one of those people. It’s tough, you are the first responder to all those people in the park”, said Aiden.
Aiden reminds us all how quickly these emergencies can happen and how valuable training can be, “It all takes place in a few seconds, you have to act fast,” stressed Aiden. “All the practice and training paid off. I got in there did what I needed to do and wasn’t nervous. I was very confident going into it which made it a lot easier.”
All went well that day because of planning and good safety. A tragedy was avoided, but drowning is still a leading cause of death for children. The Red Cross Aquatics Centennial Campaign encourages all to practice good water safety. Preventing unsupervised access to water, providing constant, active adult supervision in and around the water, and knowing how to swim are critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning.
And Aiden reminds us all, “You are never too old to learn to swim. We have life jackets that we lend out to people so if you know you can’t swim just come up and ask for a life jacket.”
Aiden saved two lives that day. To recognize his service and quick action The Red Cross presented him with the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders. This is one of the highest awards given by the Red Cross to an individual or team of individuals who saves or sustains a life by using skills and knowledge learned in a Red Cross Training Services course.
The Red Cross encourages everyone to take the steps today to be water smart. Click here to learn more about water safety.
American Red Cross Connecticut Chapter 
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