Blue Lagoon Helps Ysgol Brynconin Get Ready For Safe and Fun Summer
Lifeguards visited Brynconin School in Llandissilio on Friday to provide potentially life-saving advice to children on how to remain safe this summer when swimming in the sea, local rivers, and along the region's coast.
The lifeguards, Glyn Rainer and Catrin Thomas from Blue Lagoon water park near Narberth delivered the talk to children between the ages of 4 and 11. The presentation looked at the importance of learning to swim, the potential dangers to be aware of when swimming outdoors, and life-saving rescue advice.
Gareth Thomas, the headteacher of Brynconin School, said: “We’re really happy to have the guys from Blue Lagoon here sharing their expertise and tips with us and it’s great that we have these links with the local businesses on our doorstep.”
“With the weather hotting up, the children will no doubt be racing to the beach so it’s imperative that our pupils get the message of how to stay safe. The children do look up to the lifeguards, so the fact that the presentation was given in Welsh was much appreciated.”
Throughout June and July, the lifeguards will be visiting a number of schools in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion to teach children the importance of staying safe in the holidays as part of its Get Safe 4 Summer campaign.
The campaign comes after a recent survey by the Amateur Swimming Association found one in five parents don't allow their children to swim in the sea because they are afraid they will get into difficulty.
“There’s a lot of fun to be had in the summer in Pembrokeshire; countless beaches, rivers, and streams, not to mention the flumes and wave pool at the Blue Lagoon,” said Mike Slack, Manager of the Blue Lagoon.
“It’s important to us that children are made aware of the potential dangers and informed on how to stay safe in the water. That way, they can go out and have a fantastic time, wherever they decide to go swimming.”
Interactive and fun, the Get Safe 4 Summer presentation gets the pupils involved. They are shown first-hand what to do when in difficulty in the water and the various techniques to safely rescue swimmers in trouble, such as using props as buoyancy aids and how to put somebody into the recovery position. At the end of the talk, each child will receive a certificate and a Blue Lagoon reward card.
“We’re really glad to see that the Get Safe 4 Summer campaign is communicating these valuable safety messages to children and if it helps to save just one life, it’s more than worthwhile,” said Porcha Treanor, Communications Manager at the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the drowning prevention charity. “We all know water is great fun and we’d never want to scare children from going near it, but it’s important that they’re aware of the risks.”