Lifeguards are useful only if they are alerted when someone is drowning (Lifeguards would have made a difference; July 10).

One cannot expect a lifeguard to continuously scan a swimming pool for hours.

It is more important to have a way to trigger an alarm when someone is drowning.

Perhaps sensors or robotic eyes could be developed for this purpose.

If there is an alarm, then other people present can also help when it is triggered.

Clearly, the statistics from the news report show that having a lifeguard may not make a critical difference.

Tan Peng Boon