NY lowers minimum age for lifeguards at children’s camps

Lifeguards at children’s camps may be as young as 15 years old, thanks to a law Gov. Kathy Hochul signed, officials said Monday.

In an effort to address the city, state and nation’s ongoing lifeguard shortage crisis, the bill allows for up to half of lifeguards on duty at camps to be at least 15 years old if they are under the supervision of a camp aquatics director. The other half must still be at least 17 years or older. For wilderness swimming, lifeguards must be at least 18, the governor said in a statement on Monday.

“New Yorkers deserve the opportunity to safely enjoy our world-class beaches and camps across the state,” Hochul said. “This legislation will help address the lifeguard shortage, while ensuring that our children and fellow New Yorkers are supervised and safe in the waters.”

The law will go into effect until three months after it was signed — meaning camps this summer must still follow the current rule, which sets the minimum age for camp lifeguards at 16 years old.

“These lifeguards would still have to pass all of the same requirements and obtain the same certifications as older lifeguards. The American Red Cross allows for certification of 15-year-old lifeguards,” lawmakers wrote in a bill memo.

The state lowered the minimum age for government run pools to 15 two years ago.

The lifeguard shortage that made headlines last year has persisted into this summer, affecting the city’s swim programs.