Saving lives in the water
LINDEN – You too can become a lifeguard if you follow the teachings of these lifesavers.
Since 1991, the Linden Lifesavers Club has been doing all they can to ensure that there are few to no water related incidents as long as they are in attendance.
During this time, they have been on standby and assisted at open water events, triathlons, school swimming galas and swimming events across the country. Club president Brett Pheiffer said all lifeguards and training lifeguards were committed to saving lives and helping people enjoy their experience in the water.
He added, “We put a lot of time and energy into being out our best so that we can help those in need as quickly and efficiently as possible. When we meet, we simulate real world experiences so that whenever the day comes, we know exactly what to do and what not to do.”
The club meets at Linden Swimming Pool every Saturday and trains people to be lifeguards while continuously upskilling those who are in the profession. “On a normal day, we do lifeguard drills and refreshers on the hand/flag signals that a lifeguard needs to know. We then jump into the water and do some drills such as lung busters and rescuing mannequins.”
The Linden lifesavers also train young swimmers, which they call nippers, to have the necessary and lifesaving skills when it comes to water. “These are our future lifeguards, we need them to come in early, learn and be able to take over when we move on.”
The nippers who love being in the water, are taught many of the signals lifeguards use to communicate with each other and participate in drills that improve their awareness and reactions around water.
The club will host a training and skill development session on October 30 at 09:00 at Linden Swimming Pool and the public has been invited.
Those interested in seeing them in action or becoming a lifeguard, are welcome to join them on the day. For more details contact them via info@lindenlifesaving.co.za
