Surfers set for emergencies

Photo and Words by: John Veage

Cronulla surfers were some of the first to participate in a Trauma Surfers Rescue/Bleeding Control course that was held at Cronulla Beach last week thanks to Cronulla RSL funding.

Surfing NSW have started running this course for various coastal communities up and down the NSW Coastline and were stoked to be able to get the chance to run this course for the Cronulla surfing community.

This is the first time Surfing NSW has been directly involved in the NSW State Government’s Shark Mitigation Program and it gives them an opportunity to run these courses and programs for boardriding clubs, surf schools and the surfing community as a whole – all funding received from NSW Government and D.P.I has gone directly into volunteer clubs.

Fifteen local Surfing Sutherland Shire Boardrider’s clubs members took part in the training and there was plenty of fake blood and limbs lost in the exercise. The board rescue component started first before the Trauma training course – Bleed control in an Aquatic Environment – was presented by TacMed Australia Military Medics who are leveraging training based on their experience from special operations in military and civilian settings around the world. Participants suited up to keep warm on the beach for the duration of the course – there was no sitting in a classroom watching videos.

Surfing Sutherland Shire President Andy Britton said it was a real eye opener and more in depth then the basic first aid courses that club members have to do.

“It was a first class hands-on learning experience, delivering a skill set that all surfers should have. It is highly recommended to all club members,” he said.

Surfers learnt surfboard rescue techniques that incorporate the best methods for both conscious and unconscious patients and then the bleeding control trauma course, which is designed to arm surfers and ocean users with lifesaving skills that can save a surfer from trauma related injuries including shark attack, fin chop, propeller injury, severe lacerations and other surfboard related injuries.

Surfing NSW provided the first-of-its-kind Trauma Training course to assist surfers, boardrider clubs, surf schools and coaches use their trauma and bleeding control kits. The custom kits, which are designed for use in the event of an immediate, life-threatening trauma incident were designed in collaboration with Surfing NSW staff, and include equipment to deal with immediate trauma, bleeding control, hypothermia, fracture management and minor wounds.

“Surfers are often the first to respond to surf-zone incidents at unpatrolled or regional beaches and in many of these cases, every second counts,” said Matt Lawson, Head of Programs, clubs and surf schools for Surfing NSW.