Staying Safe in the Water - First Aid Course at Astbury Watersports Centre

Day 1 began with a quiz on general first aid and medical conditions. The group discussed appropriate medications, including adrenaline and antihistamines for anaphylaxis, GTN spray and aspirin for heart attacks, inhalers for asthma, buccal midazolam for epilepsy, and glucose or glucagon for hypoglycaemia.

Next, the team practised CPR on seven different dummies representing various ages, sizes, and body types, from babies and children to larger bariatric dummies. Each participant had their own manikin for hands-on practice, focusing on both chest compressions and rescue breaths. Time was dedicated to water rescue techniques and handling drowning situations.

In addition, the group was shown three types of defibrillators, followed by practical exercises with another four different models.

After lunch, they moved on to casualty evaluation, safe airway positioning, and managing spinal injuries. Later, the group practised handling bleeding wounds using simulated body parts and practised tourniquet and haemostat application.

The day ended with splinting practice using SAM splints for twisted ankles, broken wrists, and arms. Candidates also used SAM and T-POD pelvic binders for additional training.