The Rescue

In a rescue situation it is necessary to remember that the safety of the rescuer must remain the priority. All rescues require a calm and resourceful approach. Unfortunately rescues do not seem to follow the textbook and incidents often require quick thinking.

What must be remembered is that lessons and training sessions often operate in scenic locations that attract other water users. There are occasions when surf instructors on beaches have been involved in incidents due to it being out of lifeguard hours or out of season where there is no lifeguard cover. As Stand Up Paddle instructors you may come across situations that require emergency intervention that are not part of your group.

Instructors have a duty of care to their students. Only become involved in an external rescue situation if the safety of your group can be guaranteed. Sometimes the most appropriate course of action is to call the emergency services and maintain visual contact of the casualty(s).

Drowning

“Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory arrest from submersion/immersion in a liquid medium, thus preventing the victim breathing

The victim may live or die after this process, but whatever the outcome, they’ve been involved in a drowning incident. At the most fundamental level, fatal drowning is death from asphyxia.