New technology to provide lifeguards with improved vision has been installed at Tewkesbury Leisure Centre in Gloucestershire.

Places Leisure is one of the first leisure operators in the UK to introduce a new AI-driven drowning prevention system designed to support lifeguards and elevate swimming pool safety.

Installed at Tewkesbury Leisure Centre, which the social enterprise manages on behalf of Tewkesbury Borough Council, the revolutionary system gives lifeguards an unprecedented range of vision.

Keith Evans, director of safety & risk at Places Leisure, said: “It’s important that we remain at the forefront of technology. People expect lifeguards to see everything; it’s a huge pressure on them. This new system observes people’s patterns and behaviours and alerts lifeguards via a smartwatch to behaviours that signal distress. It means our lifeguards can more quickly assess situations and react appropriately. By providing more support for our lifeguard team, we ensure another layer of safety for our customers.”

The new system from assisted lifeguard technology company Lynxight has been brought to the UK and Ireland by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), working in collaboration to support swimming pool operators in the UK and Ireland. Installed in nine countries and rigorously tested to meet the stringent needs of UK pool operators, the advanced pool safety service uses AI to identify and prevent potential incidents while improving pool safety and operations.

“Conventional pool safety systems require underwater cameras, but a warranty on the pool tank at Tewkesbury prevented us from drilling into the side of the pool. The Lynxight system uses standard CCTV cameras. Unlike other systems, it is not affected by glare or turbidity and provides lifeguards with a view of what’s happening above and below the water, including what’s outside their line of sight,” says Evans.

A more detailed look at this technology will feature in the April edition of paf.