Lifeguard, 16, saves woman from drowning first week on the job

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A teenage lifeguard from North Carolina saved a woman’s life her first week on the job. 

Sixteen-year-old Avery Pritchard from Greensboro was on her sixth day of work as a certified lifeguard when she dove into the pool to rescue a 28-year-old woman who appeared to be having a seizure, according to a report from FOX 8 WGHP. 

Sixteen-year-old Avery Pritchard from Greensboro was on her sixth day of work as a certified lifeguard when she dove into the pool to rescue a 28-year-old woman who appeared to be having a seizure. (iStock )

"I blew the whistle three times and jumped in," Pritchard told FOX 8 WGHP. "I was ready. I had to do what I had to do." 

Pritchard said she saw the woman in the middle of the deeper area of the pool with her hand on her neck and immediately knew she was showing signs of a seizure and drowning, according to Guilford County Park and Recreation Authorities reported by FOX 8 WGHP. 

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The lifeguard swam to the woman in seconds, grabbed hold of her and pulled her into the edge of the pool, according to the report. Authorities said the woman got emergency treatment at the Bur-Mil Park Aquatic Center pool. 

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With a shortage of lifeguards across the country as a result of training delays and labor shortages due to delays from COVID-19,  safety is becoming more concerning during the summer months.  the risk of drowning is becoming more and more concerning. There are an estimated 236,000 annual drowning deaths that occur worldwide with drowning being the third leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths, according to statistics from the World Health Organization. 

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"I’m grateful I was able to save her," Pritchard told FOX 8 WGHP. "At this age, you should feel responsible and conscious, and I am quite confident thanks to my training."