DURBAN - Wild Coast Sun hopes its swimming lesson campaign will prevent drownings this festive season.
This after the Sun International’s only beach-front resort, Wild Coast Sun, completed a “Learn to Swim” programme for local youths.
The lessons were held twice a week, on Mondays and Tuesdays, and ran from October to November at the Wild Waves Water Park swimming pool.
About 25 local boys and girls aged 7 and 15-years-old participated in the first-ever lesson campaign which taught them life-saving swimming skills.
This included lessons about rips and currents, treating bluebottle stings and understanding flag signals.
The campaign came just in time for the festive season, when families flock to the area’s pristine beaches and rivers.
The Wild Coast Sun said recent drownings spurred the resort on to help save lives, adding that one unnecessary drowning was one too many.
Lifesaving South Africa accredited assessor Riches Mndiyata tested and assessed the participants after they completed their lessons.
They then all received Nipper qualification certificates as per the organisation’s protocols.
This proved that the participants were now able to swim 100m in under three minutes without stopping, tread water for five minutes, and fetch an object 1.5m below the surface.
Moses Mbuthuma, a lifeguard who conducted these lessons, said this was a great initiative.
“Getting access to their beautiful pool and facilities was an added benefit and the children really enjoyed their lessons,” said Mbuthuma.
Wild Coast Sun SED and community engagement manager Vincent Bulala said the aim was to sustainably assist the communities around them.
“With these lessons and knowledge passed on to these children, we are preventing further tragedy from happening,” he said.
Daily News