A nationwide lifeguard shortage threatens to shut down beaches and pools ahead of the busy summer holiday season, experts have warned.
Across the United States, roughly 50 percent of 309,000 public pools could be forced to close or reduce their hours if they do not find adequate staffing, Wyatt Werneth, spokesman for the American Lifeguard Association (ALA), told NPR.
Beaches, water parks, and a string of other venues may also be at risk of closures or reduced hours, according to the ALA.
Speaking to Fox News, Werneth said the “critical” shortages began years ago, noting that previously there would be “hundreds” of people vying for just two open vacancies but that these days, officials are seeing “two people for a hundred positions.”…