It's a lot of money but it's also a weird job. Lifeguarding at the ocean isn't like sitting beside the neighborhood pool. It's a pretty niche skill and seasonal on top of that. It sucks that we have to spend so much but given that, it seems inevitable that you either have a well paid staff or a less qualified one. A friend of mine was recently rescued from a tricky situation after getting pulled offshore in a rip current and I definitely know which side I'd come down on.