What is the RID factor in lifeguarding?

RID Factor in lifeguarding:

• Recognition- Lifeguards fail to recognize the victim's distress.

• Intrusion- Secondary duties like maintenance tasks intrude on a lifeguard's primary responsibility of watching out for patrons.
  

• Distraction-Lifeguards are distracted from surveillance by talking to friends or other lifeguards.
  

One or more of the aforementioned causes explains why a swimmer drowns while lifeguards are on duty.

Visit the American Red Cross to register for lifeguarding classes in your area.

Of interest, there's a new interactive video produced by Guy Cotten, a French company specializing in rugged outdoor attire and safety gear, called "Sortie En Mer” (A Trip Out To Sea) that gives viewers a firsthand look at what it's like to drown after falling off a sailboat. Learn more from the Huffington Post.