YORK COUNTY, Pa. — For some, Green Valley Swimming Pool and Sports Club is the go-to place to make a splash.
It’s also some people’s best chance to cool off through Pennsylvania’s incoming heatwave.
“My favorite part is probably like the diving boards over there and there’s a giant slide over there,” said member Cohen Strubczewski.
With multiple swimming pools across its 10-acre property, members have plenty of options to stay cool.
But even swimming might not be enough to beat the heat.
“Pool water itself is heated by the sun, and it’s super reflective, so if you are floating on a raft or slightly above the water, the heat could actually reflect off of it on to you and make your heat exhaustion progress a lot quicker,” said lifeguard Penelope Brosius.
Brosius is also a trained EMT and is qualified to render aid to anyone experiencing heat related illnesses until EMS can arrive.
FOX43’s Weather Smart team expects temperatures to reach more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit over the next several days, and it might feel even hotter from the heat index.
Pool members like Sally Bacon say they’re ready to meet the heat.
“If it’s in the middle of the day, we make sure we are wearing sunscreen and we reapply that, we always bring water with us, usually a couple reusable containers of water with a lot of ice in it, and then we have to get ice cream,” Bacon said.
Bacon and her family have been members of the pool since 2020.
What are the best ways to avoid illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke?
“You’re going to want to make sure that you have some extra water, make sure that you have an umbrella, some towels to dry yourself off and cover yourself up if you start to feel like you’re getting exhausted from the sun,” Brosius said.
Experts from WellSpan Health also encourage people to seek shade wherever they can and avoid direct sunlight by wearing hats and light-colored clothing.
Heat exhaustion can occur when people are dehydrated and don’t practice heat safety.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke include nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, headaches and high body temperature, to name a few.
Health experts encourage people to seek medical attention if they experience one or more symptoms.