Five local swimmers participated recently in a professional lifeguard training course held by the Cayman Islands Red Cross at the Turtle Farm.
“My focus this month is on aquatics training, more specifically about safety in the water,” said Peter Hughes, first aid program manager of the local Red Cross.
The 30-hour course is designed to give swimmers the knowledge and skills needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies and focuses on how to help prevent drowning and injury.
Mr. Hughes said aquatic first aid training is necessary, with so many people actively diving and swimming at local beaches. “We’re surrounded by water, I would say 50 percent of our incidents are involving water,” he said.
To reduce injuries in the water, Mr. Hughes is pushing for lifeguards to be hired to patrol public beaches in Cayman.
“It’s important to increase public awareness for the need of lifeguards on our public beaches,” he said. “If we had three or four areas that were life-guarded from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., then at least people would have a choice to swim in front of a lifeguard.”
He hopes government at some point will draft legislation to allow for public beach lifeguards. “It will give kids in swim programs, jobs to go to. It’s got to be seen as an advantage by the tourism industry that has public safety in mind.” He said the Red Cross also offers a basic water rescue program, which is suitable for swimmers of all levels.
“It’s important for the public to consider a whole bunch of lifesaving skills, as part of ‘first aid,’ thinking beyond just bleeding, burns and broken bones, moving towards a wider, more holistic way of thinking about saving lives,” said Mr. Hughes.
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