Zero to Hero project does swimmingly

GEORGE NEWS - Three young men from Touwsranten recently became the first qualified lifeguards of the National Sea Rescue Institute's (NSRI) latest lifesaving initiative, Zero to Hero.

Out of an initial group of 10 participants, Eurios Horne (19), Jerome Gooieman (25) and Xolani Qakatayo (31) qualified on 15 October, during this combined project initiated and funded by the local NSRI and supported by Knysna Surf Lifesaving Club.

An open day that was held in Touwsranten was followed by a practical swimming and fitness assessment at Island Lake on 18 September. The four-week-long course officially kicked off on 20 September.

"The course was very intense with a high attrition rate due to both the theoretical and physical demands of the course," says the NSRI's lifeguard manager and Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) instructor and examiner, Mike Wood. "Training included both theoretical and practical emergency care and first-aid, CPR and rescue techniques with a strong focus on developing swimming skills."

Wood put the new recruits through their paces during training and ensured they were ready for assessment.

The three new lifeguards have now joined Knysna Surf Life Saving Club and are currently completing their volunteer hours on local beaches.

"Drowning is a major cause of preventable deaths and we are committed to drowning prevention initiatives around the country. Our Zero to Hero initiative has already proven its value, as one of the newly qualified lifeguards, Eurios Horne, spotted a swimmer in trouble during a training session at Buffalo Bay and reacted quickly to assist a member of the public," says Wood.

Before being handed their new kit at a ceremony at the NSRI base in Wilderness on Wednesday evening, all of the newly qualified lifeguards had an opportunity to join the Sea Rescue crew for a training session and experience the rescue craft in the surf. It is hoped that these young men will become the next generation of Sea Rescue volunteers.

About Zero to Hero

The idea behind the project is to recruit and train lifeguards from disadvantaged communities to patrol local beaches during the summer. The aim is to make this a continuous initiative and train 20 new lifeguards every year.

"The intention is to ensure that access to training and employment as lifeguards are available to everyone - specifically disadvantaged communities who have not previously been able to access training due to historical and socio-economic barriers," said Station 23's commander, Garth Dominy.

The vision is to run the programme in different communities. The first phase of the project is aimed at residents of Touwsranten, Kleinkrantz, Wilderness and Wilderness Heights. Next year, Sea Rescue plans to extend the roll-out to Sedgefield.

Earlier this year, the NSRI in Wilderness initiated a community-funded preventative lifeguarding model, which saw local community members and businesses generously sponsor the cost of Sea Rescue lifeguards on Wilderness beach. As the weather starts to warm up and our beaches get busier, NSRI plans to resume the community-sponsored weekends in Wilderness during November.

For more information about the Zero to Hero Initiative or the community-funded lifeguard project, please contact Wilderness NSRI Station 23 on 082 990 5955 or send an e-mail to station23@searescue.org.za.

The team especially thanked Touwsranten resident, Ingrid Buys, for her assistance and involvement which was instrumental in the project.

"Mike [Vonk] approached me to get involved with the project and I jumped at the opportunity," said Buys. "It was great to be a part of it and see for yourself how everyone moves out of their comfort zone. I am so proud of those who took part and succeeded. Each of them comes from difficult backgrounds but did not give up. I hope their perseverance will inspire more young people and encourage them to seize every opportunity they have."

The newly qualified lifesavers with Mike Wood (second from left) are Xolani Qakatayo, Jerome Gooieman and Eurios Horne.