Lifeguard Shortage Won't Let Parkview Stay Open Beyond Sunday

It's likely that those with Mayfield Heights pool passes hope Mayfield Village's Parkview Pool will stay open through Labor Day in lieu of Dragga Pool's early closure.

That's not something they should count on happening.

"I would say the chance of us being open past this Sunday is not very good," Sean Supler, sports coordinator for Mayfield Village, said.

Mayfield Heights announced earlier this week that Dragga was suddenly closed because of a lifeguard shortage. Parkview has the same problem, and will likely struggle until Sunday, when the season ends, now that two communities will be using the pool, Supler said.

"We literally have no lifeguards," he said. "We literally were going to close last weekend because we only had two or three left."

Supler said a central issue is that the Village relied on several students from The Ohio State University, which began its fall semester in August for just the second year after nearly a century of starting in mid-September. That, combined with high-school lifeguards getting ready to return to school, puts area pools in a bind.

"It's insane how many kids we lost," Supler said. "A lot of communities are experiencing the same thing. Maybe next year, we'll be more prepared."

If anything, Parkview might open for an extra weekend, but don't hold your breath.

"I just don't see it happening," Supler said.