**Abstract** The present study sought to examine the gaze behaviours exhibited by lifeguards with different levels of experience while performing a task focused on detecting drowning incidents. The findings revealed a gradual decline in detection performance over time, irrespective of the lifeguards' experience levels. Analysis of the participants' gaze behaviours unveiled that this decline was associated with alterations in both the number and duration of fixations. Moreover, the results indicated that lifeguards with greater experience maintained higher levels of detection performance and fixation numbers for extended durations, while exhibiting consistent fixation durations throughout the task, in contrast to their less experienced counterparts. These findings offer initial indications that lifeguards with more experience may possess an attentional advantage during tasks requiring sustained vigilance. **Keywords** *lifeguard, expertise, drowning detection, vigilance, gaze behaviour*