Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
HAVERHILL, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Haverhill is looking for an additional presence of lifeguards after the drowning of a young man at a local pond last month.
For the past five years, the policy at Plug Pond in Haverhill has always been to swim at your own risk, with signs that warn swimmers of the absence of lifeguards at the town beaches.
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This weekend, that policy is going to change in the wake of the tragic drowning incident.
WBZ NewsRadio spoke to Joshua Jimenez, who brings his kids to Plug Pond to play. He was surprised to hear about the recent drowning incident and said that he is grateful for the new changes.
“It’s very important to avoid situations like that, if somebody was here to take care of this area or watch over it, that incident would have most likely never happened, so it’s definitely important for the kids,” Jimenez said.
Mayor Melinda E. Barrett of Haverhill said that the city is working with several groups, including the YMCA, to bring in lifeguards for Saturdays and Sundays for this summer and beyond.
“We’re going to adjust the pay rates, so we’re more competitive and to attract people to the pond,” Barrett said.
The city is looking for anyone interested in being trained, whether they are teenagers or adults.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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