City removing lifeguards from Pettibone and Black River beaches in La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — With the weather getting warmer, it won’t be long before people are hitting the beaches in La Crosse. However, don’t expect to see any lifeguards this summer.
La Crosse’s Park Board voted Thursday night to remove lifeguards from Pettibone and Black River Beach.
The Park’s Department Interim Director says they’ve been having difficulty finding enough lifeguards to staff the beaches. And he says when there are guards, they’re not able to protect swimmers full-time.
“Really feel that it creates a false sense of security to families not exactly knowing when they can come up to the beach and have a lifeguard on duty, this way people are coming, knowing they’re swimming at their own risk,” said Jay Odegaard.
He says they will be offering special classes and free swim lessons to get people prepared for the change.
Get your weather forecast from people that actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.
COPYRIGHT 2023 BY NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
