Drowning prevention event at Dias Beach

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay Surf Lifesaving Club (MBSLC) and Surfsup Surf School hosted an event on Sunday, 24 July, at Dias Beach, as part of World Drowning Prevention Day, celebrated annually on 25 July.

Fourty children from Surfsup Seals, Powertown and The Surfer Kids attended and Jannie Ras, chairman of MBSLC and owner of Surfsup, educated the children about water safety, rip currents and basic signals.

Carlo Klaasen, Lifesaving SA regional chief examiner, handed out Lifesaving SA Resci tags with water safety information and emergency numbers, to all the children.

MBSLC lifeguards enacted different rescue scenarios, assisted by medics of MediCube, Joseph and Ronica Baruch, and Carlien van den Berg of the NSRI.

The NSRI, under the command of JC Roos and Danie Verwey (deputy comman-der), performed a simulated rescue of an "unconscious" patient with rescue swimmers and two boats assisting. MediCube and the NSRI demonstrated CPR and treatment in case of a shark attack.

The event was also attended by Councillor Anton Delemijn and his wife Annemarie and Councillor Leon van Dyk and his wife Yolanda.

The committee of MBSLC thanked everyone involved and encouraged more collaboration, such as at this event, between different role players in water safety.

"In the end it is all about saving lives and keeping our community safe," a spokes-person for the club said.