There have been reports of a new breed of lifeguards carrying out several rescues already this summer

Lifeguard dogs stand by the sea at the swimming world championships in the Roman seaside resort town of Ostia, Italy.
Toto, a small black-and-white, eight-month-old mixed-breed from Naples is now on duty beachside as a lifeguard. In a program run by the National Civil Protection Agency, dozens of Labradors, Newfoundlands and golden retrievers have been trained to act as lifeguards and are now patrolling beaches and lakes around the country to help save people from drowning.