Backyard Lifeguards & BYLG Sport

06/06/2026

It’s the fountain of youth! Everyone can use more time in the pool.

Woman, 101, Who Swims Every Day and Still Drives, Shares Her 4 Longevity Tips on.today.com/4x1Co1G

06/06/2026

Perfect conditions for an open water swim at New Town this morning! Full sun, 80F water and a cooling breeze.

We were back out again with keeping their swimmers safe. Most of the swimmers are practicing for the annual Big Shark Triathlon coming up in July. But anyone who wants to give it a try is welcome to sign up and participate!

Our New Town swim course is very similar to the one on race day. At these practice swims participants have the option to do a shorter 250m swim as well as the full 800m course. And you get 1.5hrs to swim as much as you want. Yes, some participants get in and swim the long course the whole time! We’ve counted 5 full times around before. That’s a 2.5mi continuous swim!

Have we mentioned how much we love when our open water swimmer wear those bright colored inflatable buoys? Well we do! Although not a life saving device, it could very well help keep you afloat until we can get to you. They improve your visibility 300% as well. Yes, we can actually see you swim through that 50 meter wide sun glare!

06/03/2026

Escape from Alcatraz is easily the most dangerous triathlon in the US. We hope everyone stays safe out there this weekend! And we are all eager to see what changes will be made to make the swim start safer.

One of triathlon’s most iconic races is back this weekend, but the questions surrounding Escape From Alcatraz haven’t gone away. After a devastating 2025 swim-start accident in which one athlete landed on another, leaving Chicago firefighter Jose Perez paralyzed, a gross negligence lawsuit was sparked.
At the link in the comments, we examine what has changed under new ownership.

05/27/2026

A little mid-week feel good story for ya!

When Chris Hemsworth was 8 years old, a surf instructor named Dev pulled him out of a rip current and saved his life.

Dev spent the next 29 years doing the same thing for hundreds of other kids, building a small coaching business out of it along the way.

In 2018, a back injury ended all of it — and left Dev at 61 with $212,000 in debt and nothing to show for three decades of work.

Chris flew to Melbourne and paid off every cent. Then he bought Dev a beachfront bungalow in Byron Bay.

When Dev told him it was too much, Chris told him he had pulled him out of a rip at 8 years old and he had owed him a lifetime ever since.

When Dev said he had just been doing his job, Chris told him he had been teaching him how not to drown — and still was.

Dev now runs free surf lessons for local kids every Saturday. Chris shows up when he can. Barefoot. No cameras.

05/26/2026

A shocking statistic that is unfortunately true.

Keeping your pool secured during non-swim hours is one of the best drowning preventions.

Always swim supervised. Remove toys and rafts. And be prepared.

05/22/2026

Our first Lifeguards at the Library was a success! Four of our very own open water certified lifeguards headed to the Barr Branch Library here in St. Louis last friday for storytime and playtime. We really enjoyed seeing the families and reading water safety themed books to their kiddos!

With pools opening nationwide this weekend it’s very important that we spread the good word of water safety. Remember, water safety is everyone’s responsibility. You never know when your knowledge and skills will intervene and prevent a drowning. Even something as quick and simple as checking a young child’s life jacket before jumping in a pool can make a huge impact.

We are nearing the end of water safety month, but we still want to encourage everyone to stay safe around the water and remain vigilant!

05/19/2026

Podcaster Katie Crysdale Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd. chats with guests of ASSET (Aquatic Swim Safety Event Training) team members: Katie Cleasby, AJ Miller, and our very own Stephane Rebeck about the tragic Ironman drowning in Woodland, TX. Each brought up some very good points as to what changes need to be made to prevent drownings during triathlons.

What do you think? Which systemic changes need to be made to curb this problem?

Katie Crysdale, Katie Cleasby, Stephane Rebeck & AJ Miller discuss the tragic drowning fatality of Mara Flávia Souza Araujo at Ironman Texas (The Woodlands) ...

05/18/2026

The 2nd annual Lake Lou Yaeger Triathlon was a success! Eight of our open water lifeguards along with support by 4 Litchfield City lifeguards kept hundreds of triathletes safe in the water. The wind was a bit of a challenge, but everyone stayed on course and finished strong!

Thank you to for capturing the picture of our captain surveying the water before the course opened.

05/14/2026

Thanks again .stl for having us at the Splash Bash! The dunk tank was a hit!

We are continuing our water safety education tomorrow morning from 10-12pm at the Barr Library Branch on Jefferson Ave. Stop by with your kids as we’ll be reading water safety books.

05/01/2026

Today is the first day of National Water Safety Month! And as we all know, water safety education is everyone’s responsibility.

Check out this 5 min video from the NDPA to learn the 5 layers of protection. Which one do you think is the most important?

This is "5 Layers of Protection" by NDPA on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.