Surfing NSW Training is making Mid North Coast beaches safer Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley - popup ad Nambucca Valley News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 5, 2024 Course participants conduct first aid training under realistic conditions at Scotts Head. Photo: supplied. LAST weekend Scotts Head was the location for drone and medical trauma training courtesy of Surfing NSW. The accredited Drone Pilot Course was conducted for members of seven Northern NSW boardriding clubs. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Club volunteers were selected from Pottsville to Forster to attend the training and become new recipients of state-of-the-art UAV drones to help keep their communities safer in the water. In parallel to the drone training, a trauma course known as ‘Bleed Control In Aquatic Environment’ was conducted. This training is specifically designed to teach surfers and ocean users critical skills that can save a life from trauma-related injuries, including shark attack, fin chop, propeller injury or laceration. Specialised training in this course is run by former military medics leveraging techniques from their extensive experience in special operations in combat and civilian settings around the world. The training was a realistic ‘hands-on’ course completed on the beach teaching bleeding control techniques intended to save lives. “We are absolutely stoked to be able to run this course for coastal communities for free and know that it will save lives,” Surfing NSW Programs Manager Matt Lawson told News Of The Area. “The benefits to community safety are immense and we could not do this without the support of the NSW Government and the DPI Shark Smart program.” Linked to the NSW Government’s shark management program, Surfing NSW has also provided specialised first aid trauma kits and bleed control packs to all NSW boardrider clubs, surf schools, high performance coaches and associated drone pilots in the state. In addition to the rollout of these trauma kits and specialised training, Surfing NSW is supplying state-of-the-art drones to selected NSW boardrider clubs. They will also support the training and licensing to fly these drones safely and identify sharks. So far this year sixteen boardriding and bodyboard clubs in NSW have received the drones. Renowned Scotts Head-based surfer and surfing instructor, Trent Munro, told News Of The Area, “We are just so grateful to the team at surfing NSW whom not only presented our club, the Scotts Head Boardriders, with an amazing drone, but also arranged an in-depth educational two-day training UAV course, a positive move for not only our club but also to help keep our community safer when using the ocean.” By Mick BIRTLES Former military medical experts from TACMED deliver a course at Scotts Head, facilitated by Surfing NSW. Photo: supplied. Clubs on the Mid North Coast have received high quality training and state of the art drones to enhance safety at the beach. Photo: supplied.
