Senior lifeguards from the City of Cape Town have teamed up with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Water Policing and Diving Services, as well as SANParks Rangers, in a comprehensive skills exchange programme.
The primary focus of this initiative is to provide vital water safety training to approximately 100 SANParks Rangers who operate in and around Table Mountain National Park, an area that encompasses diverse water bodies such as coastlines and dams.
The programme kicked off with a water awareness workshop conducted by SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) in collaboration with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
The session equipped participants with essential knowledge of drowning prevention and the effective use of NSRI’s pink rescue buoys.
Moving into the second phase, senior beach lifeguards from the City have been assessing the swimming abilities of the rangers.
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These assessments will inform their participation in the Recreation and Parks Department’s Learn-to-Swim Programme during the off-season.
Phase three will see the implementation of an advanced swimming course, wherein the stronger swimmers among the rangers will undergo training to become certified lifeguards.
SAPS WPDS has identified select members to undergo lifeguard training, as part of their ongoing development programmes.
The programme will impart crucial skills to five City lifeguards on the protocols and procedures involved in responding to drowning incidents.
This includes search patterns for locating patients and protocols for body recovery operations until SAPS arrives on the scene.
Looking ahead, there are plans to provide diving training to certain City lifeguards, particularly those stationed at swimming pools with depths of up to five metres.
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Picture: City of Cape Town