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

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