Ryde Beach Lifeguards part of Waterside Community Trust (Registered Charity), have delivered sea safety awareness courses to over 800 local school children, with their last of 40 sessions taking place this week.
Schools who participated: Broadlea, Godshill, The Bay, Gatten and Lake, Dover Park, Queensgate, St Marys, Haylands, St Georges, Oakfield and Nettlestone Primary.
The programme was aimed at school years five and six, with all Island schools invited to book onto sessions free of charge thanks to grant funding from Southern Water, as well as Hovertravel.
Run over two weeks
The Sea Safe sessions were run over two weeks, with a week at Sandown Beach, followed by a week at Ryde Beach, due to both beaches being lifeguarded in the summer months by RBLG.
The hour long sessions taught the children and their teachers about how to stay safe at the beach, where to get advice and what to do in an emergency.
An immersive experience
This was followed by an immersive experience, with the children being taken into the sea and learning about cold water shock, how to get out of danger and how to summon help.
Each child was provided with a free Southern Water swim hat, as well as a RBLG Sea Safe Certificate.
Miller: Prevention is key – Drowning can happen so quickly
Todd Miller (Beach Manager) created the programme, and hopes it will greatly decrease the risk of accidental drowning on the Island.
“I believe that prevention is key and something that is at the forefront of the service at RBLG. In running the Sea Safe Sessions we are able to deliver potentially life-saving knowledge and skills in a fun way, which I hope will ensure they can all enjoy our amazing beaches safely.
“Drowning can happen so quickly, and I often remind myself of an incident in 2014 where an eight-year-old boy drowned at Ryde and would have certainly lost his life that day, if it hadn’t been for the expertise and speed of all the emergency services involved that day.
“So I hope by delivering Sea Safe, Beach Rookies and always improving the quality of service we provide to Ryde and Sandown, that that will day will never be repeated.
“A huge thank you to Southern Water and Hovertravel, whom without the program wouldn’t have been possible”
The beach lifeguards operate at Ryde and Sandown beaches, between 11am – 6pm until the end of August. Please swim between the red and yellow flags.
News shared by Todd the Beach Manager on behalf of Ryde Beach Lifeguards. Ed
Image: © Georgina Bottriell Photography
