WHEN the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) was commissioned in 2011 by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Director of Sport within the National Sports Commission Neil Kumar said only strong swimmers would be allowed to use the facility.

However, following the completion of a Lifeguard Training Course, the first of its kind in Guyana, weak swimmers can now use the facility, since those individuals who will be graduating this afternoon at the NAC, will be on hand to render assistance if needed.
At a simple press briefing which was held at the Liliendaal, Turkeyen-based NAC, Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony said he was pleased to know the Lifeguard training seminar which was conducted by Canada-based Guyanese Patrick D’Almada, in collaboration with the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), was a success story.
“One of the things which would have prevented us from fully utilising the pool here at the NAC was a lack of lifeguards. We felt that it is very important that we train persons and get them certified and this programme which got under way with 15 persons but will see 14 graduate, did just that,” said Dr Anthony.
He brought smiles to the faces of his audience which also included Kumar, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Sport Alfred King, D’Almada, members of GASA and Neil Goberdhan another Canada-based Guyanese, who initiated the programme, when he told the newly certified Lifeguards, four of them can immediately seek employment with his Ministry.
“With the Lifeguards who are graduating tomorrow (today), I would like to see them work together to form an association which would be a separate one from GASA and one which will be affiliated to other Lifeguard associations in the Region.
The other thing is that we wish to have continuous training sessions for Lifeguards right here at the NAC and every year we want to put this on the calendar of activities, so we will be working out this arrangement in a timely manner, so that other persons can sign on to become trained Lifeguards,” said Dr Anthony.
The Minister alluded to the fact that several pools are made available to the public which are not governed by any particular standard or overseen by the respective individuals, such as Lifeguards.
“You have varying standards and quality, with the standards dealing with the actual infrastructure and quality dealing with water in the pool etc. In addition to that, we would have varying levels of Lifeguarding protection for people who cannot swim and because of the varying standards regulations and more pools being built, I think it is time we putting the mechanisms in place.”
He said his Ministry would be looking to borrow some experience from the 104-year-old Canada Lifesaving Society (CLS), of which D’Almada, who left Guyana as a teenager has been an instructor for the past 24 years, and other jurisdictions, with the view of developing the Lifeguard regulations here in Guyana and putting them into place, within the next six months and later on regularising the process.
Dr Anthony told his audience, that he is hoping the owners of the pools that are made available for public usage, such as hotels, would buy into the programme with the aim of utilising the services of the Lifeguards.
He also challenged the trained Lifeguards to be an advocate for the programmes which will be held annually, calling on them to recruit new personnel into the system.
With regard to the warm-up pool that was being called for by GASA, Dr Anthony said the construction of same is expected to get under way during this year, with Myrtha Pools which was founded in 1961 in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy, being contracted to do the prefab work, after the preparation site has been prepared.
In his overview of the programme which lasted for one week, D’Almada said it is his belief that every child should be taught to swim in the same manner they are taught to ride a bicycle. The trained Lifeguards were taught to execute lifesaving skills, such as rescuing an individual who suffers a heart attack while swimming.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that close to one million people die every year from drowning, that is why the CLS is committed to saving lives and also to ensure Guyanese who live in Guyana, which is known as the Land of Many Waters, is safe in and around water,” stated D’Almada.
While he expressed delight at the work he was able to put in during his one-week stay, he excitedly expressed a desire to return to work with GASA and the Lifeguards, with the aim of improving the services in Guyana, even as he applauded the Government for the construction of the Olympic-size pool.
At the conclusion of the remarks, two demonstrations were done by the Lifeguards, who rescued a weak swimmer and also one who suffered a heart attack while swimming, much to the delight of the spectators