RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor Alice Higgins, praises the work of the Outreach programme and we commend her team when they went on to help save a life less than six weeks later...

“Our young lifeguards have now had two peak-season inductions with the DSAA team. These have taken place at Henstridge, prior to the lifeguards going operational on the beaches of Lyme Regis and Weymouth for the Summer 2017 season.

Meeting the DSAA Team was a fantastic opportunity for our lifeguards. Not only was it a professional insight into the world of critical care, it also helped to inspire our Weymouth & West Dorset lifeguard team.

The lifeguards came away feeling empowered, knowing that if a major/time critical incident were to occur on our beaches, they have, where possible, support from the DSAA crew. The team spent valuable time explaining life-saving procedures, highlighted the area of beach which needed to be cleared so the air ambulance could land and related all their discussions back to the casualty care training provided by the RNLI.

It was amazing to see the work of all those involved. Thanks again to the team for the invaluable time they gave to our lifeguards.”  

Impact

Within six weeks of the young Lifeguards attending an Outreach session, they helped resuscitate a man found unconscious and not breathing on Weymouth seafront. 

A team effort by members of the public, senior and young Lifeguards and a bicycle paramedic saw the patient resuscitated and an area on the beach cleared ready for the air ambulance to land. Our Critical Care Team were able to stabilise the patient before he was airlifted to hospital. 

The lifeguards involved in this incident used the knowledge and skills learnt through Outreach alongside their own training, in what was a serious incident. They provided an immediate and crucial response and worked as a team alongside all the other emergency services involved. Subsequently, they were commended for their efforts.