By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Meet Bill the lifeguard. He’s 66 years old and this is his sixth year working on the beaches of Galveston.
“I got bored after I retired,” said Bill.
“Some days I spend most of my time in the tower and other days, I’m out grabbing kids out of the rocky area. People always want to talk, especially the kids. They ask questions like, ‘are there sharks, are there jelly fish and where do the seashells come from,’” he explained.
While hundreds of spectators were enjoying the sandcastle contest, Bill had his eyes peeled on the surf and the crowd. There wasn’t a moment he could stop and enjoy the sand structures as he was making sure everyone was safe. “The job can be stressful,” he said.
When other retirees ask Bill how to become a lifeguard, he tells them, “Start working out.”
To qualify as a lifeguard, one must swim 500 meters in under 10 minutes. His least favorite part of the job is the heat.
