Man, 73, becomes Ulverston pool’s oldest lifeguard

A man has become the oldest lifeguard at his local leisure centre, at the age of 73.

John Barstow undertook a week-long lifeguard course at Ulverston Leisure Centre, after being asked by the pool manager to recover a training mannequin that had been lying at the bottom of the pool while swimming one day.

“I dived down and managed to get it first time. He looked at me and said: ‘You are on my next lifeguard course’ – and that was the challenge,” he said.

Following the course and three-hour exam, Barstow is now the eldest member of the lifeguard team at Ulverston. “It’s an encouragement to everybody, isn’t it? You’re never too late to learn a new skill,” he said.

Barstow said the training itself, which involved learning first aid and simulated rescue missions, was “quite a challenge”.

He said he had been the eldest on the course by 40 years, but did not mind being the most senior of the cohort.

“A lot of our philosophy at the pool is we want to encourage swimmers and people to be active at all ages – and I certainly find them a good team to work with,” he said.

Barstow said he did not take up swimming until later life, despite being a physically active person, but was drawn to the activity because “as you get older, injuries take longer to heal, and swimming is something you can do in a more gentle way”.

But he said it was not all fun and games.

“You’ve got to whistle and keep your swimming mates in order!” he said.