Junior lifeguards celebrate end of program with 30-foot plunge from Okaloosa Island Pier

OKALOOSA ISLAND — More than 50 youths in Okaloosa County Beach Safety’s junior lifeguard program took the plunge Friday morning at the Okaloosa Island Pier.

The approximately 30-foot jump from the pier deck to the Gulf of Mexico has become a tradition to mark the conclusion of their training.

For the previous two weeks, the participants got a front-row seat to what it takes to be a lifeguard, as they learned from those on the job. All junior lifeguards honed their swimming skills and physical endurance before they took a swim test.

“They’ll learn every rescue technique that we use in the open water setting,” said Rich Huffnagle, chief of Okaloosa County Beach Safety.

That included conducting practice rescues using flotation devices and rescue boards. Participants also learned how to identify rip currents and how to safely get out of them. They also visited other first responder agencies such as Okaloosa County Emergency Management and the Okaloosa Island Fire Department, who often work with the county's lifeguards.

And while the pier jump has become something junior lifeguards look forward to every year, it’s not just fun and games. Huffnagle said lifeguards are trained to be able to jump from the pier with their rescue equipment if that proves the fastest way to get to a swimmer in distress.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Okaloosa County junior lifeguard program: annual Pier jump marks end