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WATER SAFETY

Water Safety Tips

Beach and Water Safety Tips

Learn to Swim
Swim Near a Lifeguard
Never Swim Alone
Don’t Dive in Headfirst
Take Precautions for the Heat and Sun
Always Swim between the RED and YELLOW Flags
Obey Warning Signs and Lifeguards Instructions
If in difficulty, raise a hand above your head.
Do not panic – conserve your energy. Help will arrive
Obey Instructions of the Lifeguard. They are there to protect you.
Understand and Avoid Rip Currents and Dangerous Areas
Respect the water and the environment

River Safety

Check the strength of the current by throwing a small twig into the water (remember the current is stronger on the outside of bends)
If you get caught in a current, float on your back with your feet downstream. Angle yourself to the shore
Submerged objects can be very dangerous. Always enter the water feet first
River conditions can change rapidly from heavy rainfall or release of water from storage areas.

Lakes and Dams Safety

Cold water in lakes and dams can cause distress. The water below the surface is often colder than you expect. This sudden reduction in temperature can cause shock and lack of mobility. If this happens get out of the water immediately.
The bottom of lakes and dams can be soft, uneven and changeable. Be careful of submerged objects and always enter the water feet first.
Lakes and dams are open expanses of water. A rising wind can suddenly cause choppy waves that make it dangerous to swim

General Water Safety

Don’t swim directly after a meal, or when under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Protect your skin. Always use a sunscreen of at least 15+. Limit your exposure particularly between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm
Never swim alone and always limit the distance you swim out knowing that you have to swim back

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is known to be the prime cause of aquatic/drowning disasters.
SWIMMING and ALCOHOL DO NOT MIX

Safety Signs and Signals

	Swimming is only permitted within 200m on either side of point of display.
	Areas are patrolled by lifesavers.
	Swimming is temporarily unsafe.
	Swimming Permitted.
	Swimming Prohibited.
	Surfing Permitted.
	Surfing Prohibited.

Objectives of Lifesaving SA

Voluntary

Lifesaving South Africa has a presence around the country, ensuring that tourists and the general public experience “safe swimming”.
Lifesaving South Africa has a membership of over 5500, who patrol an excess of 100 000 hours of unpaid duty per annum across 120 clubs nationally and we have performed 86 327 rescues to date.
Lifesaving South Africa has a membership of over 5500, who patrol an excess of 100 000 hours of unpaid duty per annum across 120 clubs nationally and we have performed 86 327 rescues to date.

Water Safety Programmes

Water Safety Project – LSA has run water safety programmes for children and youth at the Inanda Dam and other areas.
The aim of the programme is to raise awareness about lifesaving, and empower children and youth with water safety knowledge, basic resuscitation training and lifesaving rescue techniques.

Partnerships with Stakeholders

Vodacom Netcare Sea Rescue Helicopter Service

Vodacom, Netcare 911, the National Sea Rescue Institute and Lifesaving South Africa have entered into a partnership, offering a Rescue helicopter service. Our partners play a vital role in the operations of this service. Lifesaving South Africa has seconded our National Helicopter Coordinator, Mr. James Ross, to co-ordinate the Rescue Helicopter Operation with a team of 80 of Lifesaving SA’s life guards. Our lifeguards are responsible for the actual rescues. The Netcare team is responsible for medical care. Vodacom has supplies emergency numbers.

Lifesaving South Africa and SAPS

LSA has a long-standing relationship with the South Africa Police Services

We train SAPS in lifeguarding, they undergo training and are assessed by independent assessors. This project is hosted around the country.

Competition

Sport is an intrinsic aspect of Lifesaving and Lifesaving SA’s National Team currently holds 3rd place in international lifesaving competitions and are keen to defend or better this position. The national team is often selected to participate in the World Lifesaving Rescue Champs, the German Cup, the Tri-Nations and the Commonwealth Stillwater Lifesaving Championships

More About Lifesaving SA

Incident Protocol

Major Incident Reporting Protocol

In the event of an incident occurring at a venue officially patrolled by a Lifesaving South Africa voluntary duty member or duty squad or in a remote vicinity but attended to by members of the club/ duty squad while on duty the following reporting / investigative procedure must be adhered to.

Examples of reportable incidents are as follows but are not limited to

Confirmed death by drowning or unknown causes or a near drowning of a member of the bathing public within the lifeguard patrolled area.

Suspected drowning / disappearance of a member of the bathing public within patrolled area.

Retrieval of bodies from the water.

Injury to a member of the bathing public within patrolled area caused by the actions of a voluntary duty lifeguard in which case claims of medical and/or legal liability may be tested.

Injury to a voluntary duty lifeguard caused during or subsequent to the execution of his or her lifesaving duty either by accident, force of nature or violent act in which case claims of medical and/or legal liability may be tested.

Any resuscitation carried out by the club or its members, wherever it may occur, resulting from a call out made to the club

Resuscitation

In Lifesaving South Africa we begin to teach the aspects of the safe use of the sea to our Nipper members from 8 years of age. On reaching the age of 14, these young people move into the Junior ranks of the Association where amongst the topics studied for their Junior Lifeguard Award, they take the first steps of learning about Lifesaving and Resuscitation. They learn how to recognise symptoms of bather distress, how to safely secure the patient to rapidly remove them from the water to dry land, and how to check for vital signs and where necessary perform basic CPR. This basic knowledge is added to when the Junior Lifeguard goes on to take the full Lifeguard award from the age of 16. Other awards are available both within and outside the movement to further add to this basic knowledge.

Helicopter Rescue

In March 2005 the Nokia helicopter sponsorship contract ended. Nokia Finland had taken over the marketing and distribution of their phones and had different ideas to the local distributor with regards to marketing. Nokia Finland chose to focus on music and fashion.

We approached a number of corporate to take over the sponsorship and had much interest but only Netcare911 gave serious commitment, although their budget alone was not sufficient. Together, the CEO of the NSRI, Ian Weinberg, and Dr Ryan Noach, CEO of Netcare911, managed to convince Vodacom to make up the deficit and thus the Vodacom Netcare911 Surf Rescue service, a three year sponsorship, was born. However the contract is between Vodacom, Netcare911 and the NSRI.

The VNSR service took to the skies in Dec 2005. The helicopter is dispatched through the Netcare 911 flight desk, activated by the public through the 082911 telephone number. The Netcare911 control room provides state of the art technology with satellite tracking of all helicopters and ambulances as well as the ability to locate the GPS coordinates of callers to speed up rescue crew’s response. In addition, Netcare911 has negotiated much faster and more powerful B2 Squirrel helicopters for Durban and Cape Town over the December period from Helimax. This has raised the Surf Rescue service to a higher level of efficiency.

In Cape Town, George, PE, and Margate, the crew consists of a LSA rescue swimmer, an NSRI crewman, and a Netcare911 medic. In Durban LSA assists the NSRI in staffing the crewman position as the NSRI have fewer crew in KZN. Each region is managed by a regional co-ordinating committee made up of a representative from each organization. These RCC’s then report to a NCC with the same representation. This transition was easiest in Cape Town as the crew there have an established working relationship with experienced NSRI helicopter crew. In all other regions the transition has been difficult but successful. LSA has assisted the NSRI in KZN to train their crew in helicopter operations with the NSRI providing monthly training for LSA and Netcare staff in swift water and sea rescue techniques. A consequence of the transition is that the LSA heli crew stalwarts in Durban have retired. However there is still plenty interest from new crew members.

One of the problem areas at present is that the NSRI and LSA have different helicopter operations manuals with different crew requirements. An NCC sub committee has been tasked to sit in August 2006 to produce a combined manual with one set of standards. Thereafter the subcommittee will roll out the new manual in November 2006 in each region ensuring that crew are trained to the same standards in all regions prior to the summer season.

Contacts:
For any queries in your area, please contact your local representative.
They are as follows:
Durban - James Ross - 082 465 8280
Margate  - Steve Shomela   - 076 619 2324
PE         - Mark Ackerman   - 082 809 0772
George - Richard Botha     - 083 585 3339
Cape Town    - Johan Van Zyl - 083 556 2663


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