100 students trained in rescue operation at Malpe beach

Udupi, Apr 1: As many as 100 students, who were trained in rescue operation by the Rashtriya Life Saving Society, India (RLSSI), displayed their skills at life saving techniques, at Malpe beach, here, on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Vishal R handed certificates to all the trained students on the occasion and said that the district administration will give priority to safety of visitors to Malpe beach while trying to exploit the tourism potentials of the district.

“The district administration has already deputed lifeguards, home guards and police facilities there. However, we wanted to create a cadre of trained persons and this is where the students came into the picture. We will provide an additional amount of Rs. 2.28 lakhs for advanced training to these students,” Dr Vishal added.

Partha Varanashi, Director of RLSSI, said that, presently, students were being trained in Malpe and Kodibengre. According to a survey, 1.06 lakh persons had died due to drowning around the world, in 2012. Of this, 23 per cent of drowning cases had taken place in India. “Awareness can bring down the number of these incidents by at least 50 per cent,” he said.

So far, these 100 students have been given Level I training. They still have to be trained in Levels II and III. The students took two-and-half hour sessions at Malpe beach, on Sundays. “Once the students learn these life saving techniques, they will automatically go and spread the word among their friends in their schools and neighbourhoods. This will prompt their friends to take up the training too,” Mr. Varanashi said.

At the demonstration, the students passed through three obstacles before they jumped into the sea and showed how they could bring back a drowning person. A rescue boat was kept ready. They students used surf boards. They also demonstrated cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The students who are being trained include those from the Sports Hostel, Fisheries School, Narayanaguru School and Gandhi School. Niru, Shuban and Dikshith, RLSSI coaches, trained the students.