School holiday activity teaches participants about boat safety

Keegan 10, and Alice, 8, Kerr learnt about boat safety.

A school holiday programme has taught participants about boat safety.

TSB Pool Complex team leader Holly Baker says the complex ran two boat safety courses during the school holidays.

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"Each school holidays we aim to run courses to educate children and the community on aquatic safety. The boating course is a Coastguard New Zealand and Water Safety New Zealand programme. Once participants complete the course they receive a certificate."

She says the complex also held a water skills for life programme.

"Cecilie Elliott from Swimming New Zealand came to the complex and ran the course with us. The water skills for life is a national standard aquatic programme run in schools. Running these programmes is part of our goal to provide more education around aquatics for our community."

She says participants learnt a range of skills to be safe in the water.

"We use a small inflatable boat to give them the experience of being on a boat. They learnt how to safely get on and off a boat, how to use life jackets, what different emergency items do, how to react in an emergency, and how to use different items such as rope or a stick to rescue someone.

"They also learn the HELP and huddles positions to keep themselves and others warm and safe in the water."

Alice Kerr, 8, and her brother Keegan, 10, took part in the programme.

Alice says she learnt how to use special emergency equipment.

"I learnt about how to use a flare, a life jacket, and how to keep a phone safe by using a plastic pouch. I liked learning about how to keep safe on a boat."

Keegan says he enjoyed the in-water learning session.

"I liked going on the boat. I learnt to carry a torch in case so you can see in the dark if you get stuck out at sea. I also learnt about balers which you use to get water out of the boat, but if you don't have one you can use cups and mugs."

Keegan and Alice also learnt about first-aid.

"It's important to keep a first-aid kit on the boat and to always wear a life jacket with a collar. If you hit your head on a rock and are unconscious the collar helps to support your neck," Alice says.

"You also have to tell the coast guard where you are leaving from, what time you expect to be back and how many people are on the boat. I also learnt how to tell the coast guard your location using a GPS," says Keegan.

Holly says she has received great feedback about the boat safety programme.

"It's most likely that we will try and run the programme again."