ELLIS AND ASSOCIATES LIFEGUARD MAIN
EXAMINATION 2026 SET QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Maintaining Vigilance Within Your Zone - ✔✔Scanning your area constantly means
searching the water in a manner that allows you to view all depths of the water every 10
seconds.
✔✔"if you don't know, go!" - ✔✔If you are ever unsure about a situation in your zone, or
if you are in doubt about something you are seeing, treat it as an emergency and
respond immediately.
- When in doubt, check it out.
✔✔Zone Documentation & Training - ✔✔How to Know the Zones in your facility:
• Zone of Protection area document illustrating your zone responsibilities
• Unique physical characteristics of each zone
• All zones for an entire attraction or pool
• Zone Coverage diagram illustrating lifeguard team zone responsibilities that overlap
and how they work together
• Specific rules or policies a lifeguard must enforce while on duty relative to the zone
If a specific zone changes for special events or unique situations, your supervisor
should provide a document that highlights the revised zone for any position that has a
zone change.
- If you are uncertain do not assume your zone, ask your supervisor.
✔✔Passively Drowning
Characteristics of Passive (Unresponsive) Guests in Distress - ✔✔Guests who have
lost consciousness. They may be seen bobbing or floating at the surface or submerged.
- A submerged guest may look like a blurred spot or an object, such as piece of clothing
- If you notice something below the water surface and cannot quickly identify it, activate
your Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and enter the water to determine what it is.
,✔✔Actively Drowning
Characteristics of Active (Responsive) Guests in Distress - ✔✔Be aware of the body
position, movement, facial expression, and breathing effort of guests in distress.
- Body position is typically vertical.
- Arms are extended; as if trying to grab something for support.
- Minimal leg movement; no forward progress being made.
- Facial expression can be panic or fear
- Eyes may be closed or widely opened; as if they are surprised to be drowning.
- Head may be tilted back; to keep water out of their mouth.
- Rarely call for help because they are focused on breathing.
✔✔What is a guest in distress?
G.I.D - ✔✔Someone who needs immediate assistance. The guest will either be actively
drowning or passively drowning. Guests can drown in three areas:
• On the surface
• Below the surface, within arm's reach
• Below the surface, beyond arm's reach
✔✔Recognizing [a guest in distress] Risk Factors (pg. 61) - ✔✔Statistics helps us
understand who the higher risk guests are, pool locations where a higher number of
rescues are made, and time of day and holidays when a greater frequency of water
rescues occur.
- Unattended children under age 14
- Weak or non-swimmers not wearing a life jacket or wearing it improperly
- Adults under the influence of alcohol or other drugs - - Guests with medical conditions
prone to sudden illness
✔✔The Drowning Process - ✔✔(1) Surprise
- panic
- struggling to remain on the surface
- erratic and ineffective leg movements
- head back in an effort to keep water out of mouth
- breath holding if submerging
> this stage may last up to 30 seconds
> rescued during this stage the guest rarely needs
any further care
(2) Respiratory Arrest & Unconsciousness
- Carbon dioxide build up triggers the automatic response to breath (agonal breath)
- If submerged, water will cross the larynx and enter the lungs, this causes laryngeal
spasm, leading to respiratory arrest
- Unconsciousness will occur shortly after respiratory arrest
> Rescued during this time may allow the guest to
begin breathing once the face is removed from
any water and airway is opened
(3) Hypoxic Convulsions
- lack of oxygen (hypoxia) can result in convulsions
, - Addition agonal breaths may displace lung surfactant resulting in froth/foam in the
guest's mouth
- cardiac arrest will ultimately result if respiratory arrest is not corrected.
> Rescue before cardiac arrest occurs, and provided
with rescue breathing and supplemental oxygen,
cardiac arrest may be avoided.
(4) Cardiac Arrest & Death
- As time passes through cardiac arrest irreversible damage can occur to organs,
especially the brain
> Care during this stage requires CPR, an AED,
supplemental oxygen support, and suction.
> Chance of full recovery at this stage is significantly
less than interventions provided in earlier stages.
The time span for the drowning process to occur varies from seconds to minutes.
Children may move through the drowning process quicker than adults. A child may
appear to be bobbing in the water but is in distress. If you observe a child showing the
slightest indication of distress, you need to respond immediately.
✔✔Agonal Breathing - ✔✔irregular, gasping breaths that are shallow therefore are
ineffective in proving oxygen to the lungs.
✔✔Laryngeal spasm (laryngospasm) - ✔✔The sudden spasm of the larynx resulting in
the closure of the larynx, meaning the epiglottis is sealed and the guest cannot breath.
No breath = No oxygen = Potential death.
- This spasm is a protective mechanism to keep water out of the airway. Unfortunately,
it keeps oxygen out as well.
✔✔Respiratory Arrest - ✔✔permanent cessation of breathing (unless there is medical
intervention)
✔✔Hypoxia - ✔✔Low oxygen saturation of the body, not enough oxygen in the blood.
✔✔Convulsions - ✔✔Involuntary muscular contractions, spasms, or jerking
- a seizure; due to the hypoxia, the brain is not receiving enough oxygen which will
cause an epileptic fit.
✔✔Cardiac Arrest - ✔✔sudden, unexpected stoppage of heart action, often leading to
sudden cardiac death
✔✔Pre-existing Medical Conditions that can cause drowning: - ✔✔Drownings (active or
passive) can be caused by various medical conditions or special situations including
heart attack, seizure, stroke, diabetic emergencies, head injury, shallow water blackout
or substance abuse.
EXAMINATION 2026 SET QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Maintaining Vigilance Within Your Zone - ✔✔Scanning your area constantly means
searching the water in a manner that allows you to view all depths of the water every 10
seconds.
✔✔"if you don't know, go!" - ✔✔If you are ever unsure about a situation in your zone, or
if you are in doubt about something you are seeing, treat it as an emergency and
respond immediately.
- When in doubt, check it out.
✔✔Zone Documentation & Training - ✔✔How to Know the Zones in your facility:
• Zone of Protection area document illustrating your zone responsibilities
• Unique physical characteristics of each zone
• All zones for an entire attraction or pool
• Zone Coverage diagram illustrating lifeguard team zone responsibilities that overlap
and how they work together
• Specific rules or policies a lifeguard must enforce while on duty relative to the zone
If a specific zone changes for special events or unique situations, your supervisor
should provide a document that highlights the revised zone for any position that has a
zone change.
- If you are uncertain do not assume your zone, ask your supervisor.
✔✔Passively Drowning
Characteristics of Passive (Unresponsive) Guests in Distress - ✔✔Guests who have
lost consciousness. They may be seen bobbing or floating at the surface or submerged.
- A submerged guest may look like a blurred spot or an object, such as piece of clothing
- If you notice something below the water surface and cannot quickly identify it, activate
your Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and enter the water to determine what it is.
,✔✔Actively Drowning
Characteristics of Active (Responsive) Guests in Distress - ✔✔Be aware of the body
position, movement, facial expression, and breathing effort of guests in distress.
- Body position is typically vertical.
- Arms are extended; as if trying to grab something for support.
- Minimal leg movement; no forward progress being made.
- Facial expression can be panic or fear
- Eyes may be closed or widely opened; as if they are surprised to be drowning.
- Head may be tilted back; to keep water out of their mouth.
- Rarely call for help because they are focused on breathing.
✔✔What is a guest in distress?
G.I.D - ✔✔Someone who needs immediate assistance. The guest will either be actively
drowning or passively drowning. Guests can drown in three areas:
• On the surface
• Below the surface, within arm's reach
• Below the surface, beyond arm's reach
✔✔Recognizing [a guest in distress] Risk Factors (pg. 61) - ✔✔Statistics helps us
understand who the higher risk guests are, pool locations where a higher number of
rescues are made, and time of day and holidays when a greater frequency of water
rescues occur.
- Unattended children under age 14
- Weak or non-swimmers not wearing a life jacket or wearing it improperly
- Adults under the influence of alcohol or other drugs - - Guests with medical conditions
prone to sudden illness
✔✔The Drowning Process - ✔✔(1) Surprise
- panic
- struggling to remain on the surface
- erratic and ineffective leg movements
- head back in an effort to keep water out of mouth
- breath holding if submerging
> this stage may last up to 30 seconds
> rescued during this stage the guest rarely needs
any further care
(2) Respiratory Arrest & Unconsciousness
- Carbon dioxide build up triggers the automatic response to breath (agonal breath)
- If submerged, water will cross the larynx and enter the lungs, this causes laryngeal
spasm, leading to respiratory arrest
- Unconsciousness will occur shortly after respiratory arrest
> Rescued during this time may allow the guest to
begin breathing once the face is removed from
any water and airway is opened
(3) Hypoxic Convulsions
- lack of oxygen (hypoxia) can result in convulsions
, - Addition agonal breaths may displace lung surfactant resulting in froth/foam in the
guest's mouth
- cardiac arrest will ultimately result if respiratory arrest is not corrected.
> Rescue before cardiac arrest occurs, and provided
with rescue breathing and supplemental oxygen,
cardiac arrest may be avoided.
(4) Cardiac Arrest & Death
- As time passes through cardiac arrest irreversible damage can occur to organs,
especially the brain
> Care during this stage requires CPR, an AED,
supplemental oxygen support, and suction.
> Chance of full recovery at this stage is significantly
less than interventions provided in earlier stages.
The time span for the drowning process to occur varies from seconds to minutes.
Children may move through the drowning process quicker than adults. A child may
appear to be bobbing in the water but is in distress. If you observe a child showing the
slightest indication of distress, you need to respond immediately.
✔✔Agonal Breathing - ✔✔irregular, gasping breaths that are shallow therefore are
ineffective in proving oxygen to the lungs.
✔✔Laryngeal spasm (laryngospasm) - ✔✔The sudden spasm of the larynx resulting in
the closure of the larynx, meaning the epiglottis is sealed and the guest cannot breath.
No breath = No oxygen = Potential death.
- This spasm is a protective mechanism to keep water out of the airway. Unfortunately,
it keeps oxygen out as well.
✔✔Respiratory Arrest - ✔✔permanent cessation of breathing (unless there is medical
intervention)
✔✔Hypoxia - ✔✔Low oxygen saturation of the body, not enough oxygen in the blood.
✔✔Convulsions - ✔✔Involuntary muscular contractions, spasms, or jerking
- a seizure; due to the hypoxia, the brain is not receiving enough oxygen which will
cause an epileptic fit.
✔✔Cardiac Arrest - ✔✔sudden, unexpected stoppage of heart action, often leading to
sudden cardiac death
✔✔Pre-existing Medical Conditions that can cause drowning: - ✔✔Drownings (active or
passive) can be caused by various medical conditions or special situations including
heart attack, seizure, stroke, diabetic emergencies, head injury, shallow water blackout
or substance abuse.
