The immensely impactful Sunshine Coast Survival Swimming Programme has reached more than 1460 learners from all backgrounds, equipping them with vital water safety skills that could save their lives from drowning incidents:
Eastern Cape, South Africa (10 September 2024) — In nearly a year since it was launched, the Sunshine Coast Survival Swimming Programme has already made a massive impact for communities in the Eastern Cape.
Established after a devastating New Year’s Eve incident when four young people lost their lives on account of drowning, the NSRI’s Carol Mewse knew something needed to be done to prevent this from happening again. After some strategising, it was eventually decided that the already-established Survival Swimming Programme should come to the Sunshine Coast with support from the Water Safety Committee and fellow NSRI members intact.
In November 2023, the Sunshine Coast Survival Swimming Programme officially made its splash, with help from Carey Webster, who, along with Carol, would go on to win the Paul Harris Fellow Award for what a significant contribution they would make to their community.
Not a case of free swimming lessons, this programme has been especially unique because of its survival-centric focus.
As the NSRI shares, “[The programme is] the first community volunteer only, open water Survival Swimming programme nationally providing survival swimming and water safety education in several locations.”
“The concept of survival swimming is not a swimming lesson, but rather survival training. Statistic show that most children drown within five metres of getting to safety. So we teach them essential techniques to reach safety,” says Carol.
Unlike the original swimming programme that utilised public pools or pool containers, the Sunshine Coast programme hosted lessons in rivers in a demarcated are distinguished by special float ropes.
As the lessons went on, community support grew with many supporting the programme in essential ways, including donating costumes and towels so that no one would be held back from its value because of material resources.
Many months and lessons later, and 1,460 learners have been empowered through all the different sessions. That’s over 1,000 more people who are now equipped with skills that could save lives!
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