42 Photos That Capture Curious Moments Throughout History

I now have the pleasure of introducing you to this special character, Old Black Joe. Old Black Joe (or by his real name, Joe Fortes) was the first official lifeguard to patrol the beaches of Vancouver and was credited with saving dozens of people’s lives in his career.

If you were to ask me to imagine the kind of person who would be a pioneer in the life-saving profession, I would probably picture someone pretty similar to Joe Fortes. His belly, by itself, seems buoyant enough to stop people from drowning if they hold onto it tight.