District councilor mocked for complaining that a lifeguard was swimming on duty

A lifeguard was seen swimming while on duty at Galaxia, a private residential estate, in Wong Tai Sin. Photo: Facebook/Mandy Tam
A lifeguard was seen swimming while on duty at Galaxia, a private residential estate, in Wong Tai Sin. Photo: Facebook/Mandy Tam

A district councilor in Wong Tai Sin has been mocked online for accusing a lifeguard at a residential estate of “slacking off” after he was spotted swimming on duty—disregarding the fact that this may very well have been part of his job.

On Sunday, Mandy Tam posted three pictures on Facebook showing one lifeguard cleaning the pool at Galaxia, a private housing estate, while the other swam in the other end.

“[I’ve] already notified management to follow up, and if it’s really the case, [we] may need to replace him,” Tam wrote, adding the hashtag “#dothingsprofessionally.”

It is not known how long the lifeguard was swimming for, but the three photos appear to have been taken seconds apart.

The Facebook post drew much criticism, with many saying that her accusation is unreasonable as a lifeguard’s duties—like checking the floor of the pool and making sure there is no rubbish—would naturally involve swimming.

Read more: Green sheen? Drone shot shows Hong Kong hotel’s algae-infested pool

A representative of Galaxia’s management told In-Media that it is unable to comment on the incident based only on the photos as it is not clear whether the lifeguard was swimming laps or inspecting the pool floor.

The statement, however, is at odds with a letter from management sent to Tam, posted on her Facebook page Monday. In the letter, the estate management faulted the lifeguard’s allegedly inappropriate behavior and added that it has issued a verbal warning to him.

One Facebook user wrote: “I think the management company needs to explain to residents what the inappropriate behavior was.”



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