Teachers make a lifesaving splash

Port Hedland teachers beat the heat recently with a pool lifesaving session at the South Hedland Aquatic Centre.

The session was part of the Pilbara Spirit Swimming and Lifesaving Carnival on November 13, and showed teachers pool life-saving skills while tying in with the sports carnival.

The sessions also took the staff through the activities the students would be competing in during the Spirit Carnival the next day.

On top of the life-saving training, there was also a cultural awareness session.

Royal Life Saving Society WA senior manager swimming and water safety education Trent Hotchkin said the workshop was to ensure future volunteers in the community would be able to deliver pool lifesaving.

Mr Hotchkin said the teachers at the training session went through a classroom-based activity before getting in the water.

“The activities range from rope-throwing to mannequin-towing, which represents a human life, and that will give them the skills to be able to incorporate those lifesaving events as part of their swimming carnival,” he said.

He said WA had a high multicultural mix.

“The cultural awareness session is about working with instructors in the community to ensure they can teach children from a variety of backgrounds,” he said.