Anyone who has been onboard a large cruise ship knows just how busy the pool deck can be on a hot and sunny day in the Caribbean. For that reason, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have a highly skilled and trained team of lifeguards on duty every day.
Just how important that team of lifeguards is was proven during a Liberty of the Seas seven-night sailing on October 23 when lifeguards saved the life of a guest who had lost consciousness in the pool.
Lifesavers Onboard Liberty of the Seas
While cruising the Western Caribbean on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, October 23, 2021, all seemed to be going well. While guests were enjoying the ship, and the pool deck, one of the ships’ lifeguards on duty noticed something go very wrong. Iketut Giartana, the lifeguard on duty, observed that a guest lost consciousness in the pool.
Several lifeguards, a bar staff nearby, a concerned guest, and a lifeguard manager helped pull the guest out of the pool and begin life-saving measures using CPR (chest compressions) and a heart defibrillator.
The doctors were able restart the heart and help the patient regain consciousness in a race against time. In a post shared on the Starguard Elite Facebook page, the cruise line thanked and praised the team who saved the guest:
“We are so proud of what our team of lifeguards did and continue to do for our guests. Our promise to our guests is that we will do everything we can to keep them safe and protect their well-being. Our lifeguards – and the medics they work with – honor this promise every minute onboard. Guests who witnessed this incredible rescue thanked the team with a huge round of applause.”
“Dear team of lifeguards: know that every crew across our fleet, the brands, and shore side also applaud you for your professionalism and skill. THANK YOU!”
Safety Comes First for Royal Caribbean
All lifeguards onboard Royal Caribbean ships go through extensive training programs to ensure the safety of all guests. With hundreds or even thousands of kids running around the various pools across the fleet, along with the odd intoxicated guests and possible medical emergencies such as the one that happened onboard Liberty of the Seas, it’s good to see the cruise line taking a safety-first approach.
The lifeguards are trained by Starguard Elite, an aquatic risk prevention agency that is internationally recognized for its elite training, certification, and consulting programs serving lifeguards, management, attraction attendants, and more.
The incident onboard Liberty of the Seas also speaks volumes about the training of the other crew members on board. Before working onboard, most crew members need to go through a training regime called STCW, which stands for Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping.
Also Read: Three More Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships to Restart in December
This worldwide convention ensures a lateral standard of training is achieved across all countries in the world and includes basic medical first aid training, CPR, firefighting, and what to do during emergencies onboard.
Cruise lines have come a long way from the old days when safety was secondary to financial gains. Nowadays, passengers can be assured that each cruise line worldwide places training, safety, and security at the top of the priority list, as shown by the fantastic crew of Liberty of the Seas.
The ship is currently operating from the Port of Galveston in Texas after resuming service on October 3, 2021. The vessel sails seven-night Western Caribbean cruises.
