THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has launched its first survival swimming centre.
According to NSRI drowning prevention manager, Andrew Ingram, considering that only 15% of South Africans can swim and the country’s terrible drowning statistics, learning how to swim should be prioritised as an essential skill that all South Africans have – especially children.
“This centre combats two critical issues we have identified, which is offering underprivileged children access to a safe swimming pool, which many communities do not have, and secondly, by offering the lessons at no cost means there is no financial barrier,” said Ingram.
The centre is built in a 12-metre shipping container which features a 6m-long swimming pool, an office space for the instructor and a change room for the students. In addition to some of the safety features, the pool is 1m deep, allowing small children to stand in it.
The use of a shipping container means that the pool can be locked up when not in use to ensure there is no danger of anyone entering the pool while instructors are not on duty.
Ingram said the first phase of the project would be trialled and tested at Meiring Primary School in Riebeek Kasteel, a school that was identified by the NSRI after a fatal drowning incident that took place there.
“Even though there are many incidents like these in the country, we selected the school because we already (like in many other parts of the country) have a swimming instructor servicing that area,” Ingram said.
Meiring Primary School headmaster Brenton Cupido said they were very excited to be the first school to receive the survival swimming centre.
“Following the fatal drowning incident at our school, myself, the staff and the school pupils were terribly affected by this incident. It is crucial for our schoolchildren to be taught survival swimming to prevent any further tragedies,” he said.
The roll-out of the swimming lessons will start with Grade 7 pupils and two teachers, which will be followed by the other pupils and teachers who are interested in learning.
The first set of teachers who will be taught will be those who are interested in learning to become survival swimming instructors and are able to carry the safe swimming culture forward in their communities.
Ingram explained that by targeting these teachers first they would eventually become survival swimming instructors.
The set of skills that teachers would acquire as survival swimming instructors would be for the benefit of not only the school but the community as a whole, he said.
“The fundamental lessons that will be covered during the swimming lessons include how to hold your breath under water, opening your eyes while under water and how to float and to safely propel yourself for at least five metres in water.
“This project has received incredible support from the swimming pool industry which has made it possible to do a proof of concept on a tight budget.
“For example, we have a purpose-designed swimming pool and top-of-the-range filtration and circulation system in the survival swimming centre which were fully donated. This, with the specialist help given to us by various industry leaders, has made what was a dream a reality.
“We hope to create a swimming culture among the children and teachers who we have taught how to swim. The skills the teachers will gain will allow them to teach upcoming students how to survive in water,” Ingram said.
IOL