By James Windell
When the lifeguard program returned to South Haven’s South Beach during the Memorial Day weekend, no one had any idea how quickly a trained lifeguard program would pay off.
On June 9, 2026, Jeff Filbrandt came out of Lake Michigan on South Beach after swimming laps in preparation for an ironman competition. He spotted a lifeguard on the beach and walked over to him to chat.
What happened next was contained in a press release from the City of South Haven: “A swimmer exited the water and was speaking with on-duty lifeguards when the individual suddenly became unresponsive. The lifeguard team immediately assessed the individual, initiated PR and deployed an Automated External Defibrillator to revive the swimmer.”
But that tells only a small part of the story.
Jeff Filbrandt, who has been the owner of Filbrandt Family Funeral Home and is a member of Kiwanis, is also the husband of South Haven Mayor Annie Brown. She fills in the details of what happened on the beach:
“Jeff biked 54 miles the day before he collapsed at South Beach after swimming laps,” Mayor Brown says. “An angiogram showed that he had 100 percent blockage in two places. What he had at the beach was a cardiac arrest.”
Brown went on to say that Jeff’s doctors and nurses have told him how lucky he was. “They said he is alive specifically because our highly-trained lifeguards immediately performed CPR and then shocked him with a defibrillator to get his heart started. An ambulance was able to take him right to Corewell Hospital. Our family is extremely grateful for our highly qualified lifeguards, SHAES, paramedics and the police.”
Bringing back a lifeguard program, which the city had not had for 25 years, was controversial, but the South Haven City Council approved a return of lifeguards to South Beach in November, 2025. Mayor Brown was in favor of a lifeguard program throughout city council discussions.
Prior to newly hired lifeguards beginning to patrol South Beach Memorial Day weekend, the eight lifeguards received extensive training. That was evident in saving the life of Filbrandt.
“Thanks to the quick actions of our lifeguards and strong coordination with South Haven Area Emergency Services, the South Haven Police Department and our Beach Enforcement Attendants, this was a well-executed response at every level,” says David Figurerdo, Chief Lifeguard. “Our team is trained to act immediately, and in this case, that rapid intervention made a critical difference. The reinstated lifeguard program serves as an additional layer of safety on South Beach, complementing the other measures already in place, with staff actively watching the water and ready to respond at a moment’s notice. We’re grateful for the teamwork across departments that helps keep our beachgoers safe.”
Figureredo points out that his lifeguards are trained not only to recognize signs of distress but also how to administer high-quality CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator. “Early, effective CPR and AED use are critical components of the cardiac chain of survival, greatly increasing the likelihood of a favorable medical outcome in a cardiac event,” he notes.
No matter, Filbrandt is grateful for the lifeguards who reacted so quickly after his cardiac arrest.
“I’m thankful that I was in the right place when I passed out,” he says as he recovers. “The ER doctor said I should go buy a lottery ticket. I got great care from the team of lifeguards on the beach. I think a lot can be said for living in a small community – you get a lot of personal attention. Lifeguards, EMTs and the police all rallied together to help me and I’m on the road to recovery.”
Mayor Brown, though, has the final word: “I was in favor of lifeguards,” she says. “But more importantly our city council agreed to bring back the lifeguard program. Regardless of how people felt about lifeguards, today we’re all saying: Thank God for lifeguards.”
