THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) handed over 62 certificates to the first cohort to successfully complete the Survival Swimming Course lessons offered at the institute’s survival swimming centre in Tombo Village, Port St Johns.
The centre, a 12 metre shipping container featuring a six metre-long swimming pool, an office space for the swimming instructor and a change room for the students, is located at Noah Christian Academy in the same village.
The centre opened its doors in September last year.
The initiative is aimed at teaching basic survival swimming lessons, to help prevent drownings.
According to the NSRI statistics, over 300 people drown annually in the Eastern Cape alone.
“On average, the Eastern Cape has 312 persons that are drowning per year. Through this survival swimming centre, we are making an impact on preventing drowning and ultimately get that number to zero,” said NSRI executive director for drowning prevention, Dr Jill Fortuin.
“Since the survival swimming centre started operating, 1,492 persons, including 50 adults, have received survival swimming lessons,” added Fortuin.
The survival swimming course offers breathing control, floating, orientation, and moving through the water skills.
Fortuin said the course not only equips participants with important life skills, but further opens the opportunity to those who graduate to work as lifeguards, in ships, and as air hostesses.
Noah Christian Academy founder and principal, Nwabisa Jita-Nkata, said that the initiative did not only help the children at the school, as she and her staff had also learnt to swim.
“We have had a great turnout of adults who want to learn to swim, and we have extended the survival swimming course to the broader community during school holidays to cater to them,” said NSRI education co-ordinator for drowning prevention, Valerie Barlow.
The NSRI said that their plan was to roll out more survival swimming centres across the country but this was dependent on funding.
“We trust that this initiative will not only benefit and empower learners only, but will also see every member of our community being taught to swim,” concluded local traditional leader, Jabulani Ngapu.
The certificate handover ceremony was held at Noah Christian Academy in Tombo Village on March 9.
