Lifeguards To Return To Select Minneapolis Beaches This Weekend

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Starting this week, lifeguards will be returning to popular Minneapolis beaches on the weekends.

The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board announced Wednesday that lifeguards will be at Bde Maka Ska's Thomas Beach, Lake Nokomis' Main Beach and Wirth Lake Beach on Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 7 p.m. They'll be out again the following weekend as well.

This announcement comes after two swimmers had to be rescued Tuesday evening from the water near Bde Maka Ska's Thomas Beach.

Early next month, the park board plans to hire more lifeguards and offer daily services at the beaches listed above, as well as Cedar Lake East Beach and Lake Harriet North Beach. The lifeguards hired will have been certified in past years and receive additional training.

According to the park board, no other beaches will have lifeguards for the remainder of the summer.

In early April, the park board said that public beaches would be closed for the summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, per health guidelines, beaches have been allowed to open to swimmers, although no lifeguards were posted.

Planning to head to the beach this summer? The park board says you should follow social distancing guidelines and bring your own water bottle and hand sanitizer.