TANNERSVILLE — If you were outside, you know that summer will soon be here. And that means people will be looking for places to cool off. Crews at one of those places in Monroe County are scrambling to make sure they’re ready for their Saturday season opener.
Workers at Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark near Tannersviile have three more days to make sure their waterpark is up and running for the summer tourist season.
“All this week I’ve been working, power washing, pressure washing the pavers, making sure they’re good for bare feet, cleaning off all the chairs. Then the night and weekends, we’re training our lifeguards on CPR and water skills,” said lifeguard Andy Schmidt.
But the transition work to go from Camelback Mountain Ski Resort to the waterpark starts the day after ski season ends, this year around Easter.
“Preparation is not a moment thing. It’s months before, getting ready and making sure we’re ready for Memorial Day weekend,” said Wayne Franks, director of waterpark operations.
Another important part of getting ready for opening day this Saturday is the training exercises. A team of seasonal employees is practicing what to do in the event someone gets stuck up on a lift.
In the event of an emergency, such as a power outage where the chair stops, instructors show the crew how to get a rope over the chair lift and then train the group on how to rescue the guest on the chair lift and hoist them down.
As for the lifeguards, when they’re not cleaning during the day, they’re training in CPR and lifesaving at night and on the weekends.
“It’s the most important part, in my opinion, to ensure the safety of our guests and give parents peace of mind,” Schmidt added.
The park opens Saturday at 11 a.m.
Admission is free for retired or current members of the military and their families on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Just make sure you have your Military ID.
