VREDENBURG — As winter slowly makes way for warmer days and the festive season approaches, making sure our children know how to stay safe around water is something the Saldanha Bay Municipality (SBM) takes seriously.

According to Carol Feris, Disaster Risk Manager of the SBM, last Friday (24 July) the municipal Department of Public Safety teamed up with EMS Ambulance Services and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) to deliver hands-on water safety and CPR training at Masiphatisane Primary School in Witteklip. “And the response was wonderful,” she said.

One hundred enthusiastic learners from Grades 3 to 6, along with five of their teachers, rolled up their sleeves for the session. The Grade 3 group consisted of 13 boys and 12 girls, while Grades 4 to 6 brought 37 boys and 38 girls to the training.

Feris said the visit formed part of World Drowning Prevention Day commemorations, officially marked on Saturday 25 July, and aimed to give young people practical skills that could one day save a life, whether at the beach, a dam, or a backyard pool.

Feris had a special word of thanks for the school: “We would like to extend a big thank you to Masiphatisane Primary School for hosting us and helping to equip our youth with life-saving skills.”

The training carried a simple but powerful reminder for every community member: Anyone can drown, but no one should.

“With summer just around the corner, the hope is that these 100 learners will carry what they’ve learned into the holiday season, and maybe even pass it on to a friend or sibling,” Feris said.