Students attain pool lifeguard skillset for aquatics sport and recreation

THIRTEEN students from Foster Secondary College who participated in Life Saving Victoria’s accredited Pool Lifeguard Skillset at the Korumburra Outdoor Pool have all passed their pool activities, which involved a timed 200 metre swim, extraction of Elvis, a 40kg dummy from a depth of 3 metres, performing a water rescue, as well as a simulated spinal patient extraction from shallow water.

The students also completed six hours of compulsory online theory, CPR training, and gained expertise in the correct administration of oxygen and the use of a defibrillator. All activities on-site required the students to work in teams.

The students who completed their training were Charlotte Tay, Abbey Best, Tess Hollier, Sophie Millton, South McCormack, Casey Johnson, Zephyr Davis, Oscar Bright, Tex Dyson, Mason Anderson, Max Johnston, Archer Gee and Alistair Buckland, and the trainer was Stewart Nicoll.

The training was facilitated by Mark Tudor from the South Gippsland Bass Coast Trade Skills Alliance in partnership with Sarah Lawless from the South Gippsland Bass Coast Local Learning and Employment Network and generously funded by the Martin Carlson Foundation to provide bus transport to and from hired venues at the 2nd Scout Hall and the Outdoor Pool in Korumburra so that training could be provided by Life Saving Victoria.

Through this collaboration, the goal was to support young people to gain skills and qualifications to realise employment opportunities in their local communities. The students are now looking forward to working as pool lifeguards at the Toora, Foster, Leongatha and Korumburra pools soon.