National Lifeguards are highly skilled and trained individuals. To become a lifeguard you must be 16 years of age and have Bronze Cross and Standard First Aid certifications. See the chart for the progression.
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Before establishing the Lifesaving Society, Willam Henry and Archibald Sinclair first asked the Royal Humane Society to undertake water rescue instruction using its own organization and staff. There was little interest. Henry and Sinclair then approached the Amateur Swimming Association, which formed a committee but nothing further was done. Undeterred, Henry and Sinclair convened a meeting on January 3, 1891, at Anderton's Hotel in London, of seven persons interested in everything that pertained to swimming. This was the nucleus of the worldwide organization that was to become the worldwide Lifesaving Society.