Jamaica

In the summer of 2005, our first major project was the development of a 2-day water safety course for Jamaica’s first national Search and Rescue Team.  Faced with this seemingly impossible task, especially in light of the fact that 80% of the class did not know how to swim, the program was primarily focused around the role of rescuer safety in disaster situations.  Once this was established, white water and open water rescue skills were taught in local waterways and the participants were taken through a number of scenarios which tested both their in-water confidence and newly learned skills.