PUEBLO– Tuesday was one of the hottest days of the summer. Temperatures in Pueblo hit 100 degrees. To escape the heat over 200 people went to the City Park Pool in Pueblo.
Many parents relaxed in the shade while kids took rides down the slide, played basketball in the water, and jumped off the diving boards.
While many kids came to the pool to cool down and go for a swim, Xavier Kantola was at the pool to jump off the diving board and celebrate his 12th birthday.
“I came to the pool because it’s my birthday and I live close to here,” Kantola said.
Kantola spent his birthday going down the slide and swimming around in the pool and his favorite, jumping off the diving board.
“The diving board because when you go off it, it makes that sound and you splash into the water,” Kantola said.
Kantola swam with his younger brother Henry.
“I think everyone should go to the pool,” Henry Kantola said. “It's hot but a perfect day to go to the pool,” Kantola said.
After a long day of swimming Xavier Kantola is excited for his birthday dinner.
“I am going to eat some spaghetti,” Kantola said.
Lifeguards Sophia Parker and Demi Winters were on duty Tuesday. Because of the heat, they were reminding people to take care of themselves.
“Drink water, eat food, take breaks, stay in the shade, don't stay in the sun for too long,” Parker said.
Winters has been a lifeguard before and said it's been an unusual summer.
“I've worked here for three summers now, and I definitely say this was the weirdest one. Just because in June it was so rainy, so we were. Closed a lot, but it's definitely picked up now that it's getting warmer,” Winters said.
Parker said that because of storms in June, they had to close the pool a lot in June for temporary lighting delays. Now they are making sure people are not overheating.
“I mean, it's fun. It's good. We have water on our stand so we're staying hydrated and constantly scanning our zone, making sure everybody's being safe following the rules, Parker said.
Both the lifeguards said the City Park Pool is a great place for family and friends to go to on a hot summer day.
“Just to stay cool, I mean, it's pretty fun here. We have the slides. That's definitely like our biggest attraction and we have a pretty big pool for Pueblo and we have our baby pool. So a lot of people come for that too,” Winters said.
Staying cool is what friends Gino Aranda and Jeremiah Lucero came to the pool to do.
“We’re just swimming,” Aranda said. “And having fun,” Lucero said.
Tuesday was not Aranda and Lucero’s first time at the pool. They said today was very hot and they were excited to go swimming.
“The water is nice and just for swimming,” Aranda said. “Yeah the water and the water slides are my favorite,” Lucero said.
It costs just a few dollars to swim at the public pools in Pueblo. Once a summer admission is free at one of the pools. Mitchell Park Pool off of lacrosse avenue on the east side of the city, will have a free pool day on Wednesday.
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