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GARDEN ROUTE NEWS AND VIDEO - An advanced scuba diver, who has been partially paralysed in her legs since 2010, has realised her dream of diving again.
Assisted by a team of instructors and divers, Sanet Taljaard donned scuba gear and took to the water again at the harbour in Mossel Bay last Saturday, 27 March.
See a gallery of photos here: Yes, you can!
Besides an advanced course, she had done a search and rescue course and about 100 dives before she lost full use of her legs.
Sanet was working in the United Kingdom at the time and underwent rehabilitation at a spinal cord centre.
Leading the instructors and divers who assisted Sanet on Saturday, 27 March, was Peter Herbst, a Pretoria dive course director.
He trains instructors in adaptive teaching for differently-abled divers.
Mossel Bay's Garden Route Scuba instructors and divers, headed by Reel van der Merwe, were put through their paces in a three-day course Peter gave in Mossel Bay.
Ask
Those who assist differently-abled divers are urged: "Ask questions. Don't assume things. Ask if and how you can help a differently-abled diver."
Peter said one is inclined to take over and do things for divers, but they want to do as much as possible on their own, retaining as much independence as they can.
There is a blind diver whom he assists.
Peter says certain sounds and hand touches are used to explain what is seen in the water.
Sanet enjoyed her sea dive, although the visibility was poor.
She was overjoyed to be "back in the saddle" again.
Refresher
She did a refresher course in a swimming pool just before taking to the sea.
It was tricky getting her weight belt and buoyancy correct.
With differently-abled divers, the preparation is experimental.
Sanet was better without fins on her feet and dived in booties instead. Putting a weight in each bootie helped her.
Inspire
"I'd like to inspire others who thought they couldn't dive," she says.
"This showed me once again, I can go for my goals, even if it takes a bit more planning and thinking outside of the box. Even if the environment does not change for me, I can adapt to make things happen."
She and two friends started swimming together at the beginning of last year and took part in the open water swim at Island Lake near Wilderness in aid of Môreson Child and Youth Care Centre in George.
Sanet, an IT consultant, lives in George and works from home. Adelina Coleman and Juanita Wiid, friends of Sanet, organised the dive for her.
She received as a birthday gift, a voucher for a scuba dive.
The team who helped Sanet:
Instructors
Reel van der Merwe
Christiaan Heyns
Ilane Booysen
Course director
Peter Herbst
Students
Roan van Blerk
De Beer Bombrinck
Michelle Roos
Jude Nolan
Kalo Havenga
Karlo Johnson
Sanet and her friend, Adelina Coleman, who gave her support on Saturday.
Sanet, overjoyed, after her sea dive.
Peter Herbst (left) and Reel van der Merwe assisting Sanet Taljaard and below that, Sanet starting her pool refresher course:
Sanet, entering the sea:
Mission accomplished:
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