On Wednesday, February 11, 2004 The Royal Life Saving Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Branch will recognize eleven Newfoundland and Labrador Heroes with Rescue Honours. Each of the recipients was involved in the rescue or rescue attempt of someone who was drowning. 

As a Royal Society, Her Majesty The Queen is the Patron of the Royal Life Saving Society Canada.  In Newfoundland and Labrador , the Lieutenant Governor, as the Queen’s representative, is the Patron of the Branch. 

The MG Griffiths Certificate will be presented to: 

Mr John Dyke
The MG Griffiths Certificate is the second highest National Bravery Award presented by the Royal Life Saving Society. Recipients must have demonstrated exceptional skill, personal risk, and a high degree of bravery and courage.

While acting as skipper on a 420 cadet sailing craft on Jean Lake Wabush, Labrador, Petty Office 2nd Class John Dyke’s boat capsized.  The two cadets were thrown into the water, with one being trapped underneath the capsized boat by a hiking strap.  John made sure the visible cadet was safe, then proceeded to check under the boat for the second cadet.  She was found there tangled in the hiking strap which was wrapped around her neck and had her pinned to the boat.  She was panicking and hyperventilating.  John removed the strap from around her neck and calmed her, then removed her from the water and proceeded to shore.

Mr Mark Hurley
Mark watched from shore as his 78 year old grandfather’s small aluminum boat overturned 350 feet from shore in Crocker’s Cove.  Mr Merrigan was weighed down by rubber boots and tangled in rope from the boat.  Mark immediately swam out to the man, untangled him then towed him back to shore, reassuring him.  Once to shore, two other men helped pull him from the water and find medical assistance.

Rescue Commendations Awards will be presented to:

James Rideout, Heart’s Content – rescued a man who had been hit by his boat after he had fallen out of it.

Davis Smith, Heart’s Content – after his grandfather fell overboard and was hit by the boat, 9 year old cut the engine then sculled the boat towards the man to enable him to stay afloat

Carl Oliver, Heart’s Content – helped rescue a man who had been hit by his boat after he had fallen out of it

Derek Rideout, Heart’s Content - helped rescue a man who had been hit by his boat after he had fallen out of it

Garland Winsor, Kilbride – in 1949 at the age of 15, rescued a disabled man who had been thrown from his boat when it capsized in the water. Again in 1958, Mr Winsor rescued a passenger boat captain  who had fallen into the harbour and was panicking.
Again in 

William Kenny, Avondale – rescued his son and brother in law after an iceberg broke apart onto their boat

Kevin Rose, Brigus -  in 1967 jumped into the water by Job’s Bridge in St. John’s to rescue a 10 year old girl who had fallen in and was unable to swim.

Duncan Osmond, Kilbride – dived into frigid water after his friend whose snowmobile had gone through the ice near Deer Lake.  Duncan was a passenger on the snowmobile and was thrown from the machine before it submerged.

Lillian Molloy – Portugal Cove South – in 1952 entered frigid waters to rescue three small children who had fallen through the ice in Drook on the Southern Shore.

In addition to the Rescue Awards the Lifesaving Society will also present Commonwealth Service Awards to Royal Life Saving Society volunteers and three Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medals.

The awards presentation will begin at 3:30 pm. Award recipients will be available for interviews 4:15. Members of the media wishing to attend the awards presentation should arrive at Government House by 3:15pm.

The LIFESAVING SOCIETY is Canada’s Lifeguarding Expert. The Society is a national charitable organization working to prevent drowning and water related injury through it’s training programs, Water Smart® public education campaign and aquatic safety management services. Last year in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Society certified over 2,000 people in its lifesaving, lifeguarding and leadership courses.
 

For more information, contact Jeanette Jobson, Executive Director      709-576-1953

St. John's, NL:  December 2, 2002
A special report released today by the Lifesaving Society, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, indicates that alcohol is involved in 53% of water-related snowmobiling fatalities in Newfoundland and Labrador - higher than the Canadian average of 50%. 

Statistics over the past 5 years indicate unstable ice conditions as another risk factors, with 59% of ice-related drownings taking place on the ocean. Eighty-eight percent of snowmobiling fatalities occurred during the hours of darkness, showing that lack of visibility plays a key role in risk.  Machines going through thin ice accounted for 60% of snowmobiling drownings, with 40% driving into open holes in the ice surface.
Flotation wasn't worn by 44% of snowmobilers who died while travelling over ice-covered bodies of water.

The Lifesaving Society and the RCMP have been active in offering practical solutions to individuals who do travel over ice, through the Society's Sledsmart water safety program.  This public education program is offered at no cost, in an effort to reduce the numbers of water-related drownings within Newfoundland and Labrador.

When it comes to ice travel, both organizations stress that no ice surface is ever 100% safe, so stay off, or prepare to go through.

For more information, or to request a Sledsmart presentation for your group, please contact the Lifesaving Society or your local RCMP detachment.

PARTNERS IN WATER SAFETY 

$145,200 NIF grant received for water safety resource initiative 

The Lifesaving Society was successful in obtaining a $145,200 grant from the Search & Rescue Secretariat's New Initiative Fund, to enable research to begin into documenting water safety training and public education programs used by the three top water safety organizations in Canada

In addition to core materials used in nationally based programs, most regions, branches or divisions of the organizations also produce their own regionally recognized water safety resources.  The purpose of the project is to catalogue these resources into a single document and make it available to any organization who needs it, thus eliminating the duplication of resources.

Travis Kelloway has been awarded the project contract and is currently developing the research and design elements of the facilitator's guide.  The final document will be released in Spring 2003 and be available from any of the three partner organizations across Canada.

The Lifesaving Society is a national charitable organization dedicated to preventing drownings and water-related incidents through program and public education training.  The Canadian Red Cross help people deal with situations that threaten their survival and safety;  their security and well-being;  their human dignity; in Canada and around the world.  As part of the Canadian Coast Guard, the Office of Boating Safety is responsible for the regulatory, enforcement and technical services that apply to recreational vessels. The Office of Boating Safety actively promotes boating safety through its prevention programs. 

The New Search and Rescue Initiatives Fund (NIF) was established to provide funding for projects that will improve search and rescue in Canada.  Over $8 million is allocated annually to approximately 100 projects.

The National Search and Rescue Secretariat was established in 1986, following the Ocean Ranger oil rig disaster.  The Secretariat promotes an efficient, effective and economical National Search and Rescue Program by coordinating central activities on behalf of those agencies providing search and rescue services to people in distress throughout Canada's areas of jurisdiction.

For details, contact Jeanette Jobson, Executive Director

The Numbers are In. 

Lifesaving Society's 2002 Drowning Report shows 44% increase in drownings for the province in 2000.

Recreational activities continue to be a predominant source of water-related deaths at 48%, with boating and snowmobiling incidents claiming the most lives.  2000 statistics show that deaths involving boating represented 57% of the total water-related deaths for that year, with 69% of boating incidents involving boats over 5.5 meters.

Alarmingly, PFDs or lifejackets were NOT worn in 65% of the victims who drowned.  Alcohol consumption is still a contributing factor in 37% of all water-related deaths and 55% of recreational boating deaths in the past five years.

Saturday, July 27, 2002 is National Drowning Prevention Day.  This is a Canada wide event, promoted by the Lifesaving Society to draw attention to water safety and encourage Canadians to change behaviour in, on and around the water.   The Newfoundland and Labrador Branch of the Society, has provided businesses and aquatic facilities with information and Water Smart® education material for distribution to the public on this day.

The Lifesaving Society urges people who use small boats to make sure, before leaving shore, that everyone on board is wearing a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD).  If boaters fall into the water, lifejackets keep them afloat while they tend to the urgent business of climbing back onto or into their boats, or keeping still in the water to forestall hypothermia until helps comes.

The Lifesaving Society is Canada's lifeguarding expert.  The Society is a national, charitable organization working to prevent drowning and water-related injuries through lifeguard and lifesaving training, public education and research.  Last year in Newfoundland and Labrador the Society certified 2,000 people in lifesaving and lifeguarding courses.
 

Older, But Not Wiser

Stay Off, Or Prepare to Go Through!

Ice Thickness

  Ice fishing, walking, cross                                    4 inches
   country skiing
   One vehicle - snowmobile or ATV                      5 inches
   One vehicle - car or small pickup                8 - 12 inches
   One vehicle - medium truck                       12 - 15 inches

   3 inches or less?  STAY OFF!!!

Remember that these guidelines apply to new, clear  ice under  ideal conditions.

Ice, whether it is on ponds, lakes, rivers or the ocean is never completely safe to travel or play on.  The majority of ice-related deaths are due to individuals falling through thin or soft ice, followed by falls through unseen open holes in the ice.  Most ice-related incidents take place between the hours of  3pm and 5am and involve males in the 25-64 age range. Newfoundland and Labrador's ice-related fatality rate is one of the highest in Canada, with a high number of fatalities  (52%) involving activities on ocean ice. 

The facts about preventable ice-related immersion deaths in this province are cold and sobering. Based on yearly statistics, the Lifesaving Society's education and public relations programs continue to remind Newfoundlanders of ice safety, and advise staying off ice covered bodies of water altogether.  However, if people do decide to venture onto the ice, they should be aware of ice formation and be prepared to fall through.  This will increase the chances of surviving an ice-related incident.
 

Contact:  Jeanette Jobson, Executive Director

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