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For this month’s edition of Everyday Heroes, we visited the highly requested Musutafu Lifeguards. Responsible for the safety of beachgoers all year round, these legends are loved by locals and tourists alike. Not only have they amassed an impressive social media following, but they have also been slated for their own television show set to begin production early next year.
Before then, we are honoured to give you an inside scoop and introduce you to the heroes saving lives, beach edition.
The day starts bright and early. At dawn, the first lifeguards have already arrived at Musutafu Beach. They open up the central tower and prepare for the day to come, assessing the conditions before putting out the important red-and-yellow flags signalling the safe swimming area.
Despite the early hour, the beach is not deserted. Numerous surfers have already hit the waves, and more than a few individuals have chosen the scenic route for their morning jog. Outside of the tower stands the imposing figure of Head Lifeguard Sakamata “Gang Orca” Kuugo, observing the happenings of his beach. His expression is indiscernible behind his dark sunglasses, but he is happy to share his thoughts when we ask him.
EVERYDAY HEROES (EH): Sakamata-san—
GANG ORCA (GO): Please, call me Gang Orca.
EH: Gang Orca! May we ask what’s on your mind this fine morning? Are you looking out for anything in particular?
GO: I’m just taking in the tranquillity. It’s calm now, but isn’t it always before a storm? I’m certain we’ll have a busy day ahead of us. For you too, no doubt.
EH: Thanks for the heads up. Speaking of heads… What’s it like being Head Lifeguard? And could you tell our readers what Musutafu Beach means to you?
GO: Sure thing. Let’s see… I essentially grew up on this beach. If you look over there (points at a row of houses just beyond the shoreline) you’ll be able to spot my childhood home. My father used to take me down to the water in the mornings before I started school. Taught me how to surf, swim, everything—right in these very waves. They used to say I moved better in the sea than on land! (laughs)
And my father, he was a lifeguard too, you know? Growing up it was the only job I ever wanted to have. I did my high school work experience here and signed up to become a trainee as soon as I was allowed to. By the time I graduated, I was a fully-fledged lifeguard, and I’ve been here ever since.
So what does this place mean to me? It’s everything. My whole life has been here. It’s an honour to be trusted with the role of Head Lifeguard and I will continue serving Musutafu Beach and ensuring the safety of its visitors for as long as I’m able.
EH: Truly well-spoken. We hear you’re a bit of a legend around here—something about an ocean swim record?
GO: (chuckles) Now which one of my lifeguards told you that? But it’s true. The water is my second home and the sensation of gliding through it is one like no other.
EH: Are you not scared of sharks?
GO: Please, they’re scared of me! (laughs)
EH: Well, we’ll make sure to bring you along with us if we decide to take a dip in the sea! Onto the television show: how are you feeling about it?
GO: I’ll admit I was apprehensive about it at first—too much publicity can be a bad thing too. But I’ve come to recognise that it can do a lot of good too. If it brings about more awareness of beach safety, if it helps save even one life, then it will have all been worth it in my books.
EH: We look forward to seeing you on the big screen, and we are certain the series will be instrumental in saving many lives all around the world. Finally, do you have any advice for us today?
GO: Don’t be scared. While the lifeguards on duty today may seem young, they are each more than capable of handling whatever is thrown at them. And to anyone reading this who may be interested: we’re always looking for more volunteers during the peak season. Information can be found on our website.
EH: Thank you again for allowing us to spend a day with your lifeguards, Gang Orca. We hope we do you and the beach proud.
Up in the central tower, Junior Lifeguard Asui “Tsu” Tsuyu has eyes on the entire beach.
EH: Hi Tsu! Could you please tell us what goes on in the tower?
TSU (T): So much! The tower essentially acts as our home base—everything happens here. Communication with emergency services, basic first aid, lost and found. If you need a lifeguard quickly, you’re always guaranteed to find at least one of us here. We’ve also got live camera feeds—particularly useful when searching for people—as well as binoculars to see the entire beach. This ensures nothing gets missed and I can communicate with the other lifeguards (holds up walkie-talkie) about anyone who may be straying too far.
Up here (points at a switch on the wall) is our evacuation alarm. Mostly used in cases of shark sightings, though that’s quite rare.
EH: Have you ever pulled it yourself?
T: Certainly! I remember the first time it happened, I was still a trainee, and some surfers ran up to the tower to report they saw a shark. After confirming the sighting, Gang Orca gave me the honour. The water was evacuated within minutes. It was a surreal experience, but I’m glad it doesn’t happen often.
Our interview is interrupted by a voice over the radio.
“North to Central, I’ve got a middle-aged woman here with me who’s a bit lost—came here with her husband and two sons. Said they weren’t where they put all their stuff down and that that’s gone too. They’re wearing— What was it again Ma’am? They’re wearing board shorts: husband in bright blue, older son in bright red, youngest in bright yellow. Might be good to take a look at the cameras.”
Tsu is onto the matter immediately, flicking through the feeds as she replies, “Copy. Any chance they could be in the water?”
“Negative. She says they just came out of it.”
Not wanting to interrupt her work, we sit back and watch as Tsu combs through the footage, searching for any bright pop of colour, checking everyone that is wearing blue, red, and yellow. The lifeguard next to her uses binoculars to scan the beach simultaneously. In the distance, we see the lifeguard who sent in the message standing with the woman, looking for her family with their own eyes and the help of a megaphone.
Eventually, two boys come running up to the woman. There is some shouting—gleeful from the children, exasperated from their mother—but then they hug, all bow to the lifeguard, and go on their merry way.
More information is given through the radio, with no little amusement now that the situation has happily resolved.
“North to Central, the family has been reunited. Apparently they’ve been in the same place the entire time—the mother just lost her bearings on the way back from the water and got disorientated. Her kids got a kick out of it and she seemed a bit embarrassed, but all is good.”
There is a collective sigh of relief in the tower, and some chuckles as the lifeguard’s words are registered.
“Thanks for the update,” Tsu says. “Glad it turned out okay.”
EH: That was amazing!
T: Haha, thank you. It’s always a bit scary and definitely gets my blood pumping, but it’s worth it to see the look of relief on everyone’s faces once we’ve found them. I truly think I have one of the best jobs in the world.
It is past lunchtime, and Musutafu Beach is teeming with people. We join Bakugou “Kacchan” Katsuki as he patrols the north side of the beach.
EH: So, Kacchan, huh? Does everyone get a nickname around here?
KACCHAN (K): (chuckles) Guess so. It’s good for camaraderie and all that, y’know?
EH: Really? Maybe we should start implementing it too. How are they given?
K: Oh, mine’s from childhood. A friend gave it to me, and I suppose it just stuck. Actually— (cut off)
Before he can finish his sentence, Kacchan spots something out in the waves. We follow his gaze to see a man waving his hand in the air and crying out for help. Kacchan takes off immediately, picking up a rescue board from the stand nearby and dashing into the water. He paddles out towards the man, going against the waves and crashing through them. It is not particularly graceful, but it is powerful, and that is what matters right now. He reaches the drowning man within moments, snatching him up before he’s dragged under. From there, it is a matter of getting the man back to shore. Kacchan—who has now successfully averted a crisis—catches his breath before sitting up and moving to the end of the board. He pats the space in front of him, indicating for the man to get on.
A beach as famous as Musutafu’s gets its fair share of tourists, and not an insignificant amount hail from other parts of the world. This is usually not an issue, until a pesky something known as the ‘language barrier’ comes along. We witness Kacchan struggle to communicate with the man he just rescued, becoming more frustrated as time goes by but never taking it out on the individual. The man does not appear to understand Kacchan, or he is simply not listening. Finally, he gets onto the rescue board. Backwards. Kacchan shakes his head but manoeuvres the man until he’s facing the right way, and starts bringing them in.
Kacchan’s skill in the water is something to be admired. He kneels on top of the board and crests each wave with a casualness that we know can only come from years of experience and careful control. He looks like something of a god commanding the water—you can see for yourself in the picture below.
Unfortunately, the image is shattered when the tourist suddenly loses his balance and topples the board. They crash into the water, but at least it’s shallow now. The man stands up easily and walks off with barely a thanks towards the person who just saved his life. Kacchan gets up as well and shakes the water out of his hair before bringing the rescue board back to its stand.
We rush towards the tourist, wanting to get a few comments on the experience, but the language barrier proves difficult for us too. He does not appear to understand the circumstances of what just occurred, perhaps not even knowing the real danger he was in.
When we share this with Kacchan, he tells us he isn’t surprised.
“Look, I won’t pretend it doesn’t annoy me, because it does. I just saved your life and you can’t even thank me? Or you treat it like some kind of joke and refuse to listen when I tell you to stay between the flags? We’re trying to keep you safe here. Drowning is a serious issue and we’re doing everything we can to prevent deaths in the water. You gotta help us out a little.” He sighs and then shrugs. “Hopefully more people will get that with the TV show, and your article too. But at the end of the day this is my job, and I’m gonna continue doing it whether I get thanks or not.”
A lifeguard’s duty does not only involve searching for lost people and rescuing others from drowning. Sometimes, it also means chasing away a school of fish to prevent sharks from venturing too close.
Riding the jet ski is Sero “Cellophane” Hanta. His was the voice we heard over the radio earlier informing Tsu of the lost woman. On the sled attached to the back is Shouji “Tentacole” Mezou. The duo venture out far beyond the beach to carry out an important task. A large school of fish has been spotted by a helicopter above. They are not a problem on their own, but they may draw in unwanted visitors—that is to say, sharks—so they need to be driven away. The sound of the jet ski is usually enough to do the job, but Tentacole sticks his head into the water with a diving mask and snorkel to make sure that this section of the water has been cleared.
An incredibly powerful machine such as the jet ski is not only used to scare away fish, of course. It conducts countless rescues as well—for those who have found themselves swimming further than intended, or to quickly get a hold of someone while another lifeguard paddles out with a rescue board. Cellophane and Tentacole recount an instance where the jet ski sled became a lifeline for multiple beachgoers who found themselves in a dangerous rip.
CELLOPHANE (C): Yeah, once we managed—what—four or five people on the sled? It was crazy. Trying to keep everyone calm and reassure them that they’re okay now… Meanwhile I’m just waiting for Kacchan and the others to get here, keeping an eye on the rest of the water too in case someone else is struggling and needs our immediate help.
TENTACOLE (TC): Sometimes the surfers come and assist too, which we’re really grateful for. It’s always great to see the sense of community here, everyone looking out for everyone.
EH: After spending the day here, that is truly the feeling we get. You’re like a big family.
C: (nods) For sure. Most of us grew up around here—we were the locals and regulars before we picked up this gig. You can always find a few of us here even when we’re not working, and we’re happy to step in and help if needed. There was an incident a few years ago—someone went missing after we’d all packed up and gone home. Those that could came back immediately to aid with the search. Those who hadn’t worked that day but lived close by came too.
TC: No one understands what we go through better than us. We’ve got to have each other’s backs.
EH: Are team bonding exercises a common thing then?
TC: I’d say our entire job is a team bonding exercise. We’re communicating constantly, updating each other on the goings of the beach to make sure nothing, and no one, gets missed.
C: We have a few events each year with all the lifeguards as well, just to boost morale and allow us to catch up with each other without the pressure of work looming over us. Don’t let the professionalism fool you—we’re more than capable of getting up to some silly things.
TC: (rolls eyes) One time a few of the boys thought it’d be a good idea to prank Gang Orca.
C: It was! He was scared out of his wits, let me tell you. I didn’t know a man that large could scream so high.
TC: Anyway. I guess what we’re trying to say is: this is our beach, and we’re all proud of it. We hope everyone visiting has a great experience, too.
The sun has started to go down, which means it is time for the lifeguards to say goodbye. They announce that the beach will soon be unmonitored and remind everyone to stay vigilant. Musutafu Beach begins to empty out—it is a stark contrast to how packed it was during the middle of the day.
Cellophane parks the jet ski in the garage and Tsu packs the boards away. Kacchan takes down the flags and signals the end of the lifeguards’ shift. Tentacole and Gang Orca close up the office, pulling down the window shutters and locking the doors.
Tomorrow morning, they will be back to do it all over again.
But for now…
Kacchan picks up a surfboard and heads out to catch some waves. Tsu, Tentacole, and Cellophane stay on the sand and bring out a ball to play some footvolley. Gang Orca goes for a jog, with plans to take a dip in the sea after.
Even when they are done with work, Musutafu’s lifeguards are reluctant to leave. It is clear they love this beach very much. They are just as committed to their jobs, as we have learnt so much from them today. Their dedication to saving lives makes them truly deserving of the ‘Everyday Heroes’ title, and we cannot wait to see what more they have to show on their upcoming television program.
We would like to thank Gang Orca and the rest of the Musutafu Lifeguards for their hospitality. And to our readers, we thank you for your unending support. Without it, we would not have opportunities such as these.
As always, we will leave with some hints as to who we are visiting next: apron, high-visibility safety vest, wands. See you then!