Whitmore Bay Surf Life Saving Club

In August 2007 six lifeguards from Whitmore Bay Surf Life Saving Club travelled to Gambia, West Africa to train 20 firemen from the Gambian Sea Rescue Division. Over two weeks, Cliff Nelson, Mike Allely, Ross Fraser, Briony Nelson, Ross Anstee and Mat Rowlands taught first aid, life support, pool/river rescues and surf life saving skills. The intensive course started with swimming lessons and basic rescue skills and ended with deep water resuscitation using torpedo tubes and rescue boards.

The Gambia

The Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries with only 80km of coastline. Its beaches, on the Atlantic Ocean, are spectacular but also very dangerous. Each year up to 80,000 people drown in Africa, through a combination of limited education and lack of water safety skills. The Gambia’s Fire Service is responsible for sea rescue and beach safety and operates from three lifeguard huts along the coast. Their knowledge and rescue equipment is inadequate and The Gambia hopes to develop this service over the next few years.

The Project

Through the Royal Life Saving Society, Whitmore Bay Surf Life Saving Club was given the opportunity to take a group of young, qualified lifeguards to The Gambia for a two week period to deliver water safety training and start the development of a life saving club.

The Club fundraised over £5000 to assist the team with travelling costs and to purchase lifeguard rescue and training equipment, to be donated to the Sea Rescue Service.

The Future

Whitmore Bay SLSC is continuing to support it’s counterparts in The Gambia by sending first aid and lifeguard equipment to the country and is planning another training project for the near future so watch this space.