As the RNLI launches its Float to Live safety campaign for this summer, Oliver Kidman joins the local lifeguard crew to find out what it takes to save lives at sea
TRYOUT Tuesday saw me really test my limits this week, as I joined the local RNLI lifeguards in their induction training to see if I had what it took to be part of the team.
RNLI Jersey is a highly trained team of volunteers operating from two lifeboat stations – in St Helier and St Catherine’s – who are supported by their paid lifeguards who patrol Jersey’s western beaches during the summer months.
The RNLI has become hugely engrained in Jersey’s culture, with its lifeboats serving the Island for over 137 years at St Helier, and 52 years at St Catherine’s, while the lifeguards have just commenced their 15th year of local service this past weekend.
With all this history on the Island, I decided to head to one of the RNLI’s induction training days to brush up on water safety and to see if I measured up to the local crew.
The RNLI has also just recently launched its Float to Live campaign – so, with everything that’s going on, let’s get into it.
Let’s find out more
This past weekend, from 23 May, RNLI lifeguards have returned to provide their daily cover from 10am to 6pm at El Tico, Le Braye, Plémont, Grève de Lecq and St Brelades Bay, bringing with them their new Float to Live campaign.
So, what is this all about? After findings from a recent survey showed that, despite residents of south-west UK being the UK’s most frequent coastal visitors, only 35% said they’d know how to float if they encountered trouble in the water.
The survey also revealed that, while 46% of people thought they weren’t as likely to get into trouble in the water as their friends, one in three (30%) felt they would be likely to overestimate their own ability to swim or float when tired or cold.
In light of these findings, the RNLI is urging people to battle their instincts to panic, gasp and try to fight the water and instead remember to float.
Seasonal supervisor Tim Tredant explained the technique. “We’ve just launched the Float to Live campaign, encouraging people to – in the unlikely event they get into any difficulty – learn how to float and be safe in the water,” he said.
“To do that, you should tilt your head back and slightly submerge your ears in the water, relax and try to be normal. From there, you’re going to then move your hands and feet to stay afloat – it doesn’t matter if your legs sink, it’s just about getting your body back, trying to relax your body and raising your hand to try to signal for help.
“Being upright in the water gives more chance of bobbing up and down, whereas lying flat in the water makes you more buoyant. Just relax and regain your composure, breathe normally and then signal for help.”
RNLI lead lifeguard supervisor, Jake Elms, added: “As all Jersey beaches return to daily patrols, we want people to enjoy the coast with confidence but also with respect for the sea.
Conditions can change quickly, so it’s vital to swim between the flags, listen to lifeguard advice, and never underestimate the water.
“If you do get into trouble, remember the simple but lifesaving float-to-live technique: tilt your head back, relax your body, and control your breathing until help arrives. A calm response can make all the difference.”
As this it the time people are going out to the coast and heading into the water, Tredant shared some other advice to help prevent any emergency situations from arising.
“On each of the beaches where there’s lifeguards, we put notice information out every morning that details when high and low tide is, and what type of conditions there are –offshore winds, onshore winds, type of swell.
“If you’re going down to the beach, swim between the red and yellow flags, look at the conditions and don’t go in if you feel unsafe.”
“If there isn’t lifeguard cover, make sure you’re always swimming with a friend, never swim after you’ve eaten a lot as your muscles can cramp and never go in under the influence of alcohol.”
When it comes to water safety, the RNLI is the organisation to listen to. Since its introduction to Jersey’s beaches in 2011, RNLI lifeguards have saved 23 lives and aided 4,846 people through rescues, interventions and delivering casualty care while responding to 4,007 incidents and carrying out more then 600,000 preventative actions.
So, what does it take to be a lifeguard? Other than the immense level of fitness – which you’ll hear about in a moment – this huge responsibility requires a wide set of skills.
“It’s so important to be a team player, as communication is key,” said Tredant. “You also must be selfless and put the needs of others first – you have to act in the best interests of the team. Courage is also one of our key values, as you have to be able to take on the most demanding challenges in dangerous conditions.
“Being dependable, reliable, consistent and committed to doing the job with professionalism, as well as being trustworthy enough to hold the trust of the public through transparency and efficiency round out our key values.
“Since the RNLI has taken over lifeguarding, most of the lifeguards are actually locally born – so, that way, all the lifeguards have knowledge of the sea, the surf conditions, what the beaches are actually like and they’re more than happy to give back to the community.”
Have I got what it takes?
Since local legend Dave Ferguson came up to me with this opportunity a few weeks ago, I’ve been super-excited to get involved and experience as much of lifeguarding as I can while seeing firsthand how the RNLI works – so, now it was crunch time to see how I’d measure up with these local heroes.
It was a bright and early start for my first day – already tackling a weakness, as I couldn’t be less of a morning person – to be up at Les Quennevais for 8am.
Here, I was going to take on the fitness tests, consisting of a 400m swim to be completed in less than seven-and-a-half minutes before then completing an ‘under-over’ exercise, which sees participants swim 25m underwater before then sprinting back.
When it comes to exercise and fitness, swimming is pretty high on my list of weaknesses, so it’s fair to say my expectations were on the floor. However, I was keen to see just how much I could do, and before I knew it, I was being called in.
Coming in at the tail end of the group, these lifeguards put up what was an impossible act to follow, as they were incredibly fit – someone managed to complete their 16 lengths in just over five minutes! After the initial warm up lengths, I was already beginning to feel it – not a great sign that, is it?
What followed wasn’t on my list of top sporting performances, as I battled to try hang in there. Can I swim well enough to float and survive? Yes – but, my technique needs some serious work and that’s putting it mildly, as I went the speed of a tortoise.
I just about managed half of the required distance before Dave tapped in to finish it off – I was gassed. We proceeded with the under-over, where I managed to swim underwater for about three-quarters of the way before having to surface – which I’m pretty sound with – before ‘sprinting’ back.
I then got to do some entries, such as dives, straddle jumps and sliding entries, before then completing the lifeguard skills of head-up swimming, surface dives to pick up mannequins from the surface and then swimming while carrying a casualty with different holds.
After that session, everyone then headed down to El Tico where I took on the role of being a casualty in the ocean water, being rescued by the lifeguards with either floats or paddleboards after they completed their hand signal test. I may have got battered by the waves and swallowed a little bit of salt water, but I had a ball of a time – who is unhappy in the sea?
While I may have fallen short in the swimming department, I managed to claw something back for myself in the 200m sprint test, as I out-paced the lot and crossed the line first.
After how the swimming went, I have to take what I can get.
After that shift, I then returned a couple days later, where I had the privilege of getting to ride on the back of one of their jet skis after being ‘rescued’ by lifeguard Owen Graham, which was awesome.
I then tried the lift-and-carry technique on the beach – which I did alright in, before heading off for some surfing to cap off the day.
A big thank-you must go out to the RNLI and everyone down there who made me feel welcome – seeing lifeguards’ work up close showed me you’re all in safe hands this summer. Be sure to follow all of the RNLI’s advice and stay safe.
For more information about the RNLI, please visit: rnlijersey.org.je
