Help fund local lifesavers without spending a penny!

How you can help fund a local lifesaving team, and it won't cost you a penny!

We all love doing things for charity and this season of giving you could help set up Wales only Surf Lifesaving GB Water Rescue Team without delving deep into your own bank account.

Dyfed Water Rescue Team is a new unit is being set up to respond to incidents of flooding across the UK as well as respond more locally to water based emergencies at inland water sites, supporting the existing emergency services by adding a third sector team of highly trained search and rescue professionals, funded entirely by voluntary donations.

The team is currently fundraising to support their set up and fund vital training and equipment needed to make their team members operational.

The team has been nominated by the Galaxy Hot Chocolate fund and needs votes to secure the funding.  So simply putting it, if you follow this link and vote, you will be helping the team raise the vital funds needed to get this essential unit up and running.

Thank you,

https://www.galaxyhotchocolate.com/fund/profiles/dyfed-water-rescue-team/

Festive posters from Rookies

This week our team were presented with this amazing festive lifesaving picture by two of our rookies.

Isn't it awesome?

Since summer, our rookies have been busy learning how to stay safe and how to help someone in difficulty in the water.  A fundamental part of this message was the SAFE code.  A simple anagram used to remember what you need to do to be safe around all bodies of water.

Spot the dangers - look for dangers and avoid them.

Advise taken - take advise from the lifegaurd, staff and signs.

Friends with you - always swim with someone else.

Emergency! Dial 999/112 for help

Festive SAFE code

Along with all the other vital water safety, lifesaving and self  rescue skills our education program promote this festive period we asked our 1 Formula Fitness Rookie Lifesavers to come up with their very own festive themed SAFE Code posters.

Bellows poster was submitted by Lilly, one of our 1 formula fitness rookie lifesavers. Well done Lilly.

It is our hope that this festive illustration will help promote the vital lifesaving message throughout this Christmas period so thank you for reading and please, share with your friends.

Parents Vs Rookie

As many of you probably know we've been working alongside 1 Formula Fitness to deliver a Rookie Lifesaving project where our team of lifeguard trainers regularly host sessions and deliver water safety education, through sport to local 6-8 year olds.

Well this week we teamed up with other teams from across the local area to host the first ever 1 Formula Fitness Parents Vs Rookies event where our freshly trained Rookies would take on their parents to see who knew the most about water safety and who would fair best while performing basic life saving skills such as calling for help or supporting a casualty.

First of all I'd like to start by saying a massive thank you to our panel of expert judges who supported this event and offered an interesting insight into the activities our contestants were performing.  These judges include Dyfed Water Rescue Team, Red Kite SAR consultancy and Merlin First Aid Services alongside Water Safety Europe staff.

From a community engagement point of view the idea of Parents Vs Rookies was a massive success.  We always bombard young people with the safety messages; however it is often the parents who make the decisions and getting a parent to attend a water safety program often proves tricky.  So how did this event differ?  Well as usual the Rookies underwent 6 weeks of open water safety training where they learned all about safety around water as well as a few basic life saving skills this was then tested by competing against their parents; an idea the Rookies loved.  The parents were invited to come along and get involved in the pre-planned event and our staff would set a number of challenges to test both the rookies and parents understanding. The results were interesting.  Although the parents had a basic understanding of the issues and solutions surrounding water safety, they weren't aware of many of the items the rookies had been studying.  So partaking in such an event really helped hit home the core water safety messages to both child and adult.

So as you can see, engaging the parents in your sessions, even just now and again can really have a profound impact on community education projects and will go a long way to protecting young people and their families to getting into difficulty in our water.

Cold water shock

The effects of cold water shock are responsible for the deaths of many victims of drowning in the UK every year.

We all know that water conducts heat away from our bodies four times faster than air, meaning as soon as you enter the water, you are at risk of getting cold or hypothermic.  But what is cold water shock and how does it effect us?

Cold water shock can be described as the physical effects of entering cold water and can be observed from temperatures as moderate as 25°c and research has shown that cold water shock can be accountable for a number of strong swimmers who drown in the UK every year.  This is largely due to the victims struggle to maintain a clear airway during hyperventilation, their inability to operate their extremities and the effect of the heart.

What are the stages;

1. Initial immersion responses – Cold shock response (0–3mins)

 Immediately after immersion in cold water, rapid cooling of the skin causes a number of instinctive and reactions including gasping, hyperventilation, restriction of blood flows, and panic.

2. Short term responses – Loss of performance (3–30mins)

 Following the cold shock response, the hands, feet, arms and legs start to cool and blood flow continues to be restricted. This causes a decrease in muscle strength and endurance leading to muscle fatigue and reduced control over body movements. If the casualty is unable to get out of the water or use a buoyancy aid, this will ultimately result in drowning.

3. Long term responses – Hypothermia (30mins+)

 Over time, significant heat lost causes the core body temperature to drop leading to hypothermia.

Protecting myself;

• Avoid sudden entry into water
• When boating, wear correct PPE including a lifejacket
•  When surfing, wear a wetsuit and slowly walk into the sea
• If planning event, consider how to reduce the risk to competitors

• 
  

Beach Safe this summer

Written by a lifeguard

Already this summer is looking like a busy one on the coast with multiple emergencies already taking place on UK beaches despite the fact schools have only just broke up.

Every year emergency services respond to thousands of incidents on the UK coast, but a huge percentage of these incidents could have been avoided with a little bit of knowledge and extra care.  So if you are heading to the coast this summer, be informed about the dangers and follow these simple tips.

In 2015, emergency services helped more that 26,000 people on the UK coast while lifeguards aided more than 18,000 individuals in difficulty on some of the UK's busiest beaches.  Most of the people they helped were children and the most common type of incident, counting of all ages, involved rip currents.  A rip current, or rip as it's known, is a current that flows out to sea and can occur at any

beach with waves meaning most of the UK is susceptible.  In fact rips account for approximately 80% of surf rescues worldwide and are the leading cause of rescue.  Rips can be both common and unpredictable in their nature.  Some beaches regularly get rips forming in the same location and therefore are generally easily avoided.  However, some rips can also be temporary, unpredictable and move causing mass rescues to occur within their short life span.  This is why lifeguards provide safe swim zones (red and yellow flags).  These don't only represent the safest part of the beach to swim at but also enables the lifeguard service to concentrate the majority of its assets meaning if you were to get into trouble you are likely to be spotted and rescued much quicker.

TOP TIPS FOR BEACH GOERS

1. Swim at a beach patrolled by lifeguards:

This is probably the single most important message currently being repeated across the globe.  This is because you are far less likely to drown on a lifeguarded beach not to mention the immediate availability of services such as first aid and basic advice.

But it's not just a case of visiting a lifeguarded beach to stay safe.  Once there you must find and use the red-and-yellow flags and always swim or bodyboard between them as this is the safest part of the beach thanks to the lifeguard patrols presence. 

Not all beaches have lifeguards.  To find your nearest lifeguarded beach during the summer visit; http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/

Last year more that 15 million people visited a lifeguarded beach in the UK

2. Look for information and follow advice

Find out about the beach before you visit and don't forget to check the weather and tide times, this can usually done online.  Ask at the local tourist information centre or use the Good Beach Guide website to find out about facilities.

When you arrive at the beach, read and obey the safety signs.  These will provide you with more information, help you identify hazards and advise you of the safest place to swim.

3. Never swim alone

Swimming alone is dangerous.  Should something happen to you there is no-one immediately on hand to support you or raise the alarm.  Whenever you go swimming, take a friend and always let someone on shore know where you are going and how long you will be.

4. If you get in trouble in the sea ...

Stay calm and do not panic.  Raise one arm in the air and signal for/shout for help.  This way you are easily recognisable by the lifeguards and or members of the public but not waiting vital energy needed to stay afloat.

5. If you see someone else in trouble...

Tell the lifeguard immediately.  If you cannot find a lifeguard call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.  Avoid entering the water to rescue the person as you too could become a casualty.

6. Never use inflatable's in strong winds

Inflatable's are a lifeguards worse nightmare.  Typically operated by small children these lightweight toys are easily blown away in even a slight breeze that regularly ends in the toy and the occupier being swept out to sea very quickly.  If your inflatable drifts out to sea, and is unoccupied, do not attempt to swim after it as you will never catch it up.  Simply leave it and find the nearest lifeguard and report it to them.

When there is little or no wind, only use inflatables between the red-and-yellow flags and closely supervise their use.

7. Supervise children

Always keep an eye on your children and agree a meeting point when you arrive at the beach, in case you are separated.  Make use of beaches 'Lost children wrist band schemes' and if you do lose your child report it to the lifeguards immediately.

8. Never drink and swim

Alcohol slows your reactions and impair your judgment and makes you more susceptible to cramps and the cold.

9. Check the tides

When exploring around cliffs and caves you should check the tide times and heights to see if it is safe to do so.  Every year thousands of people are rescued simply because they became cut off.

10. Know your flags

Beaches that are patrolled by lifeguards use a simple flag system to communicate some basic safety information to members of the public.  Having a basic understanding of this can greatly reduce your risk of ever getting into trouble in the first place.

This area is patrolled by lifeguards and is the safest place to swim, bodyboard and use inflatable's.

This area is also patrolled by lifeguards and is the safest place for watersports such as surfing and kayaking.  Never swim here.

 This means there are unsafe winds and inflatables should never be used when this is flying.

This flag means that it is dangerous to enter the water.  You should never go into the sea when this flag is flying.

How to throw a line

This week our friends Dyfed Water Search and Rescue team visited local secondary schools and taught 176 students how to throw a rescue line to someone they see in difficulty in the water.  Do you know how to throw a line?  Below is a simple step by step guide from their team to help you learn this simple lifesaving technique.

1 Attract attention

Shout out to the casualty to get their attention and tell them you are going to throw a line.

2. Throw the Line

Hold the throw bag in your 'stronger arm' and ensure the line is secured in your other hand.  Using an under arm motion, throw the bag containing the line towards the casualty while holding the tail end of the line in your other hand. Aim to get the line to land across the casualty’s body or over their head enabling them to easily grab the line.

3. Give Instructions

Shout to the casualty: ‘Hold onto the line,’ followed by: ‘Roll onto your back.'  This will put the casualty into an easy position for you to pull them to safety

4. Pull line in

Pull the casualty towards you using both hands.

5. Help casualty out of the water

Get hold of the casualty and assist them out of the water, using whatever safe means is available.  Be sure to keep yourself safe at all times.