Lifeguard Stuck in a Lift!!!!

John was a young Lifeguard in the early eighties - he is now a General Manager of a busy Arts and Leisure Facility and takes up the story:-

“When I was first got into the leisure industry, I took the job, because it was a job and they put me through my Bronze Medallion. I had no real passion for saving lives - it was all about the £55 a week and and how I could “invest” that in the bookies to double it!

Any opportunity for a bit of O/T was welcomed and double shifts - 7am - 11pm were great (time and a half from 3 pm).

Back then - our Leisure Centre wasn’t open on a Sunday (don’t ask) so if we had a concert or an even on in the main hall on a Saturday night it was a “double time” take down and clear up the next morning.

I don’t really remember what the event was the night before, but 6 of us arrived in the next morning at 8:00am to a closed centre to do the take down.

Being a Sunday and the centre being closed there wasn’t anybody from management in attendance - just 6 lads with varying degrees of a hangover! Probably the guy with the most “O” levels got the key - there wasn’t even a security alarm installed - never mind CCTV.

Anyway - we did the take down and someone thought wouldn’t it be a great idea to do some “naked canoeing” in the pool - where did that come from - I still wonder whose idea that was and why?

So an hour of said activity and the obligatory jumping of the balcony makes into 1.8metres of water entertained us for an hour or so.

Then we realised that we really needed to feed the hangover and that food was required!

Someone (and today - we still dispute this) came up with the idea that we could send one of us up (ME) in the “dumb waiter” goods lift to the cafe on the 3rd level - borrow some much needed sugar replenishment snacks and return to the ground floor with a stash for the hard working staff.

All went “swimmingly” until the return downward journey.

The lift (a 3 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot) BOX in which I was descending came off the tracks or rails and I got stuck in the dark - probably 30 feet up my coffin (I thought)

No mobiles or internet then by the way.

So the rest of the team, got on the phones (10p’s only) and contacted any and all trusted anti-management individuals.

Luckily we had a few guys who were part-time fire and rescue who hated management!

All very covert - but some criminal damage may have occurred when the “team” were trying to extract me from a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” type tomb!

I was of course completely blameless and did not condone the use of sledge hammers, stilton wenches, bolt cutters and a grinder to to release me!

Monday morning - we all pleaded innocence of course!

So - after many many many good cop bad cop interviews - (2 management - no union rep or witness) with each and every one of us - not including my inept rescuers who of course had threatened to cut my legs off with the afore mentioned grinder if they were ever questioned - one of us squeaked a little!!

Outcome - Six final written warnings later (apparently the Director saw potential in two of us and couldn’t bear to sack us all)
Five of us are still in Leisure - three in senior management, one has a company related to leisure and one is in prison!

So - it was high spirits and young fun that went wrong - but will always remember the Manager and the Director who saw some potential in “most” of us!

What did I learn?

Don’t ever get into a goods lift!

Disciplinary procedures CAN work!”