CSBC Recruiting National Lifeguards for Cold Water Bootcamp
The Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and PlaySafe Productions are hosting a cold water awareness boot camp on Great Slave Lake from September 27-29, and are looking for NL-certified lifeguards in the area to serve as support swimmers.
As support swimmers, you will be in the water alongside participants during cold water immersion exercises, while wearing thermal-protected dry suits. While experience working in cold water is preferred, it is not mandatory.
The volunteers participating in this bootcamp will be both male and female, aged 20 - 40, and may vary widely in size and swimming ability, so support swimmers should be confident with assisting individuals of different builds in cold water conditions.
Lifeguards will be present during outdoor filming and hands-on learning scenarios throughout the bootcamp, to help ensure the safety of all participants.
If you're interested in taking part in this bootcamp as a support swimmer, or would like to learn more, please reach out to Cheryl Gallagher at Cheryl@PlaySafeProductions.com by August 15.
About the Boot Camp
The SARSmart Cold Water Awareness Bootcamp is a new three-year initiative focusing on enhancing cold water safety and outreach in northern, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada.
This project includes two key components currently underway:
1. Cold Water Awareness Bootcamp - bringing together 8 Indigenous volunteers from across Canada to participate in immersive, first-hand cold water safety experiences. The bootcamp emphasizes lifejacket use, self-rescue, and survival strategies relevant to remote settings.
2. Cold Water Awareness Course - a new educational resource featuring an instructor manual that can be delivered in-community. This course complements seasonal content already available through the SARSmart website and USBs provided for low-connectivity regions.
The bootcamp is co-delivered with Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht (aka Professor Popsicle), Professor Emeritus of Thermophysiology at the University of Manitoba and a world-renowned expert in cold water survival.