The international reputation of the Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS) NSW continues to be enhanced with the professionalism, skills, and knowledge of its personnel praised for recently updating the qualifications of Resort Lifeguards in the Maldives.
With its crystal clear waters, endless beaches and dazzlingly array of sea life, the Maldives are rightly and regularly accorded the title of one of the world’s most desirable holiday destinations.
But for those charged with guarding the waters at one of the many resorts the responsibility of ensuring visitors safety weighs heavily on their shoulders.
As a result it is crucial that the Lifeguards are trained to the highest possible standards. This season the One&Only Resort, Reethi Rah on the isolated North Male Atoll invited representatives from the ALS to come and share their knowledge.
In August Craig Carney and Steve Allan travelled to the Indian Ocean paradise for fivedays of intense training with the 12 Lifeguards who will head up the resort’s team for the 2017 tourist season.
Over the course of the week the participants were trained to the equivalent standards of Australian Lifeguards. With participants coming from a diverse range of backgrounds; Lifeguards are hired from the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Indonesia - inter-cultural communication and respecting culture was high on the agenda of the two ALS trainers.
Both were thrilled with the experience and enjoyed the friendship and hospitality of the Lifeguards as the group bonded over their shared passion for the ocean and public safety.
“It was a fantastic experience, and to help people from other countries achieve their dreams and grow in self-esteem is a wonderful thing to be able to do,” said Craig Carney.
Steve Allan agreed adding; “This was a great opportunity to be able to pass on our knowledge and experience to the Lifeguards in the Maldives who already has a good base level of knowledge and skills that we were able to expand on throughout the program
“Over the course of the week there was a noticeable increase in their skills right through to the final assessment day, and I truly believe that the success of this program highlights why it is so important for Australian Lifeguards to continue to support the wider lifesaving community by building these international relationships,” he said.
Following the program the Lifeguards achieved qualifications in areas including Bronze Medallion, First Aid, CPR, Advanced Resuscitation, Advanced Search and Rescue, Risk Assessment, and Hazard Control, and Jet Ski Rescue.
Thursday 28 December 2017