Emergency services hold water rescue training exercise at Germiston Lake
Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg aquatic teams practised rescue techniques and teamwork during the joint drill.
The City of Ekurhuleni Aquatic Team, in collaboration with their counterparts from the City of Johannesburg, conducted water rescue skills training at Germiston Lake.
A combined team of forty members from the two cities began the exercise at 09:00 on March 7, by swimming from the edge of the lake to the mid-centre, which was marked by a buoy.
“The fastest swimmer completed the distance in eleven and a half minutes for approximately 250 metres in both directions (to and from), while the slowest finished in just over sixteen minutes,” said City of Ekurhuleni DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi.
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“Objectively, the exercise was planned to improve the water rescue skills of individuals and to build a strong sense of teamwork.
“The reason for such exercises is influenced by the types of weather patterns experienced globally due to atmospheric contamination,” said Ntladi.
Thunderstorms associated with severe downpours are one type of weather often experienced and can result in severe flooding and the risk of drowning.
Besides swimming, some of the skills practised included:
• Rowing of the crocs (inflatable boat). The control and maneuverability thereof.
• The repositioning of the boat after flipping over, including the safe re-riding and paddling while still inside the water.
• Patient care and loading out of the water.
Team members performed exceptionally well under the guidance of station manager Bafana Masilela from Wadeville fire station who is a seasoned and qualified rescue technician himself.
