Anyone who has taken a dip in a public pool this summer has likely been under the watchful eye of at least one lifeguard.

Usually, those lifeguards are teenage boys and girls trying to earn a few extra bucks while on summer break from school.

And while it must seem like a fun and easy job for a few months a year, in the blink of an eye, it can turn into one of the most important jobs a teen can have.

Several weeks ago, a few Ironton teens learned just how important when they had to rescue a classmate who didn’t resurface after jumping off the diving board at Sta-Tan Pool.

Lifeguards and Ironton High School students Jordan Leach, Tyler Milleson and Brady Birkel literally jumped into action, just as they had been trained, to rescure classmate Albert Schoener from the water.

If it were not for their quick decision to enter the water, the young man most certainly would have drowned.

Other adults on scene, Lori Young, Randy Franz and Dru Pack, administered CPR, which also aided in saving Schoener’s life.

CPR is such an important life-saving technique and more emphasis should be placed on teaching it to children and adults.

The fact is, you just never know when you will need to perform CPR, but in Albert Schoener’s case, thankfully he was surrounded by people ready to call upon their training to save a life.

All those involved, from the lifeguards to medical staff, should be commended for their efforts.