Beach patrol in Texas city fears coronavirus could spark lifeguard shortage

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Concerns are growing in a coastal Texas city about having enough lifeguards this summer in anticipation of large crowds as the coronavirus pandemic impacts its workforce.

Tony Pryor, a captain with the Galveston Island Beach Patrol, told KTRK-TV that the agency usually has 80 lifeguards working, on average. Currently, only two-thirds of that number are working the beaches, which could hamper public safety, he said.

"We'd love to have more domestic help and have more locals come out and be lifeguards, we just don't know what the answer is," Pryor said.

Galveston Island Beach Patrol officials are concerned about the lack of lifeguards just weeks before the summer season begins. (Google Maps)

Up to 30 percent of Galveston's lifeguards come from other countries on J-1 visas, which offer foreigners cultural exchange opportunities in the U.S., according to the Galveston Daily News.

“A lot of them are from Colombia and they’ve been coming back year after year; we’ve even got a couple of them who are senior lifeguards,” Chief Peter Davis told the paper. "It looks like we won’t be able to rely on that to keep the personnel size up, so we’re really hoping that we’re able to recruit a larger number of workers from the area than we traditionally have.”

Lifeguard hiring is ongoing and lifeguard academies will be in operation until staffing levels increase, according to the news station. If not enough lifeguards are hired, some may be asked to work longer hours, Galveston lifeguard Michael Lucero said.

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"The ocean can be a little dicey sometimes and you know it's our job to prevent and protect people on the beach," Lucero added.