Lifesaving SA takes its battle against drowning online

Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) has stepped up its fight against drowning — the second largest cause of accidental death of youths after road accidents — by launching an online educational hub.

The federation said in-person water safety training was limited because it was dependent on volunteers.

A paper-based educational programme was launched in 2016 as part of Life Skills Orientation for grades 4 to 6. In 2021, 6,700 teachers and supervisors were trained, with the help of the KwaZulu-Natal education department, to present the programme in their classrooms and to date they had reached more than 1-million pupils, LSA said.

“Following on from the success of Lifesaving SA’s WaterSmart School programme, in partnership with the department of education and DHL, Lifesaving SA has launched a free online e-learning WaterSmart hub making water safety content accessible to all South Africans.”

The hub includes four modules, with a character called “Resci” giving information about safety at home, at the beach, being out and about and teaching others to be water smart.

The hub’s URL is https://watersmart.dhllifesaving.com/library/home.