A real-life superhero who rescues people from drowning

It was 2013 when Zainal Abedin Bhutto created one of the most cherished memories of his life. He rescued a child from drowning in the Bay of Bengal.

The child screamed aloud as the water carried him too far and drowned him up to his neck. Without any gear, Bhutto dove into the water from the Cox's Bazar sea beach and swam his way to the child.

The child had already twice become submerged and emerged at that point. Had he not been rescued before a new countercurrent arrived, the child would have drifted further, perhaps even been lost. Bhutto was able to reach the child and bring him to the shore. 

The child's parents had given up all hope. When they got back their child, they burst into tears, hugging Bhutto for a long time.

Interestingly, this event happened before Bhutto became a paid lifeguard. 

Now, as a professional lifeguard, Bhutto spends eight hours a day watching the ocean while working as a lifeguard at the beach in Cox's Bazar. His duties require him to alternate between Laboni Point, Sugandha Beach and Kalatali Beach. He is one of 27 lifeguards on his team.

Every day, the lifeguards work in two shifts. The first group begins at 7 am, while the second group starts at 11 am. The two groups overlap and work together as a team for four hours. During winter, their working hours are reduced by one hour. 

The primary responsibility of lifeguards, or lifesavers, is to keep an eye on the ocean to prevent beachgoers from drowning.

The red-yellow flag

At each point, there are typically three to four lifeguards present. In the morning, their first task is to assess the sea conditions. They determine the safest 400-meter stretch of beach by considering two factors: the speed of the opposing current and the location of the canal onshore. Once identified, two red-yellow flags are positioned at both ends of the designated area. A watchtower of equal height is then erected in the middle, accommodating two people.

Following the installation of the tower, a lifeguard records various environmental factors on a hardboard. This includes noting the direction of the wind, air temperature, water temperature, wave height and the timings of high and low tides. After that, the board is put on display for everyone to see at the top of the tower.

Zainal Abedin Bhutto, the 33-year-old lifeguard in Cox’s Bazar, made his first rescue – saved a young boy from drowning – back in 2013 before he became a paid lifeguard. Photo: Courtesy

The lifeguards are employed by the Center for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), a private company, as part of the Sea Safe project. Among the lifeguard crew, Zainal Abedin Bhutto is a senior member.

In 2007, Bhutto completed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and he would often visit the beach in the afternoon. Around this time, the name of Zafar Alam, a renowned surfer, had gained recognition both domestically and abroad. Zafar's deft movements in sync with the waves enthralled Bhutto and sparked his passion for surfing.

Bhutto subsequently developed a friendship with Zafar and began receiving surfing training from him. Despite engaging in lifesaving work at the time, Bhutto did not envision that it would eventually become his profession.

Trained by RNLI

In 2011, a team from the UK's Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) visited Cox's Bazar. Originally founded as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck in 1824, the RNLI's primary goal was to save people in dangerous maritime situations. King George V granted royal sponsorship to the organisation in 1854, which resulted in the addition of "Royal" to its name. 

RNLI workers were surprised that although thousands of people gathered on the beach in Cox's Bazar, lifesaving facilities there were not adequate. "There were only a few lifeguards, including myself, who would rescue tourists swept away in the canal or caught in strong currents. But none of us were trained," Bhutto said.

Given the circumstances, the RNLI conducted a five-day training course. Surfers were given priority, considering things like swimming ability and fitness levels.

They were first taught about several types of waves. In Cox's Bazar, waves typically come in three different forms: breaking, clustering and rising. Reverse currents are typically dangerous when waves break against the coast and roll back. People cannot handle the pace at which the stream surges when it flows through a canal, according to Bhutto. 

Then they learned rescue techniques. Rescue operations are carried out with rescue tubes, ring buoys and spine boards for boats. They bring the distressed person to the shore by either tying them with tubes or floating them on buoys. And if there are more people, then via boats.

First aid rules were also taught. The first step in treating people in distress at sea is to keep them at ease. CPR (chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilation) is administered to someone who is in danger and is unconscious and unable to breathe. Many suffer broken legs, others are stung by sting rays or jellyfish. Lifeguards try to promptly transport them to the hospital.

Three years as a volunteer

After training, Bhutto and fellow surfers volunteered for three years on the weekends and public holidays. They had some equipment and clothing provided by the RNLI. 

Lifeguards wear a yellow T-shirt or jacket and red half pants. When asked why, Bhutto said, "A person in danger in the sea has blurred vision, then yellow and red colours help. We also use good quality sunglasses to see far into the ocean."

In 2014, Bhutto became a paid lifeguard in the Sea Safe Project, with one day off in a week. Using a cell phone while on duty is prohibited for lifeguards. Rather, they use walkie-talkies to communicate with the patrol guards and the camp administration. 

Patrol guards and watchers switch positions every 20 minutes to go on patrol or stay in the watchers' position to monitor. Those who have ventured further into the sea beyond 400 meters are requested to return to the shore by the patrol guards. 

There have been cases when tourists and buoy renters misbehaved with the lifeguards and even committed physical assault. 

The deadliest record 

2023 had been the worst year of Bhutto's professional life – 10 drownings occurred.

Once, 10 people got lost together. Bhutto and two other lifeguards ran with the tube. They aimed to bring everyone back but did not have time to prepare the boats. 

When they swam and reached the scene, they saw a man who had lost consciousness. Bhutto grabbed his arm, holding the other one by the tube. Meanwhile, another high wave came and tried to sweep the unconscious man away. Bhutto held on tighter, in between came another wave. Bhutto now found it difficult to keep himself afloat.

As luck would have it, the guard who was on his lunch break showed up on the scene with a boat. After taking everyone in the boat, they finally reached the shore. Many had their airways blocked by the salt water. The person who lost consciousness had to be taken to the hospital. Finally, the doctor declared him dead.

A job worth the effort

Bhutto likes his job as a lifeguard. According to him, there's nothing that compares to the satisfaction of saving a life, even whether your skin burns in the summer or shivers in the winter.

"Upon saving an individual, the beachgoers encircle us, applaud and offer prayers. I then feel that all of my struggles have been worthwhile," Bhutto shared his feelings. 

He's 33 years old now. The elder of his two daughters is seven years old. She is aware of and appreciates his father's efforts to save lives. "Our salary may not be adequate for us to lead a comfortable life considering today's market, but the fact that we can help people means a lot. 

My little girl is four months old. But the elder one understands well, she tells my story to friends and relatives," Bhutto said. 

Bhutto is also a coach. He trains the new volunteers and takes refresher training himself.  

Physical capability is the main resource needed for this activity. Bhutto believes he has another 12 to 13 years to go as a lifeguard. The entire team will then be involved in training after that. "We want to reduce drowning to zero," Bhutto declared. 

"And that's not only by rescuing people but also through creating awareness," he concluded.