Tasmania’s surf life savers have been using their skills and training to conduct water safety programs in Samoa since a devastating tsunami hit in 2009.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Highly trained volunteers work with the Samoan community to upskill locals, giving them fiercely important water knowledge and safety awareness.
During a recent training program in Samoa, filming of the Australian Survivor was about to begin.
Surf Life Saving Tasmania (SLST) was approached by the production team to conduct the shows water safety and risk management assessment.
SLST chief executive Tony Vandenenden said the Survivor team heard that they were in Samoa, so they spoke to SLST volunteers about conducting some aquatic risk and safety assessments for the tribal camps, water challenges and for construction around the water.
“We had a team of four different surf life savers from Tasmania over the period of the filming who performed a range of those roles,” Mr Vandenenden said.
A team of about 17 Samoans were trained as lifeguards by the Tasmanian volunteers.“A number of those lifeguards that we trained had done the initial program with us in 2010, a few of them had been employed by the American series of Survivor,” he said.
Lifeguards were placed on a rotating roster throughout the filming process.
“We had six lifeguards a day working...it was great to build a big team, give plenty of the locals a chance to experience working and apply their skills they’d learnt through the programs that Surf Life Saving Tasmania has run for them,” he said.
“We are hoping they will be able to use those skills with supporting local events within Samoa.”
Surf Life Saving Tasmania conducted a number of water-based forecasts and assessments for the television series.
“[We] provided ongoing training for them (the Samoan lifeguards), the daily risk assessments, the forecast for risks or hazards to contestants camps and and also the construction teams who were building the challenges.”
Four members of SLST volunteered their time throughout the filming period. Two of those members were 18-year-old twins Jack and Nick Wood.
Jack received an unexpected phone call from SLST asking if he would like to take over from Mr Vandenenden who was carrying out the water safety risk assessment for Survivor.
Within seven days Jack left for Samoa. “It all happened quite quickly for me,” he said. “Our job on there was any water environments that were involved, we did a risk assessment on and we worked with their head of the risk assessment department there.
“We also took care of organising the local lifeguards, making sure there was adequate water safety and none of the activities they were doing were excessively dangerous.”
When reflecting on the experience Jack said it was really rewarding and he was really glad he had the chance to be involved.
Lifeguards completed two week stints with the show. Nick took over from his brother Jack.
During the challenges Nick said he was able to help the locals develop their skills.
“We were doing risk assessments for the site...and also water safety while they were doing the challenges,” Nick said.
“In addition to the risk assessment side of it, we also worked with a team of locals to provide water safety whenever they were around the water which enabled us to...develop their skills and guide them.”
Nick and Jack have completed a significant amount of advanced training through Surf Life Saving Tasmania.
“They’ve come through our development programs, looking after lifesaving development camps, trainers within their local area, part of our emergency response teams and local volunteer lifesaving managers for their club as well,” Mr Vandenenden said.
The Wood brothers said they’d been involved with SLST since they were three-years-old. Their parents enrolled them in swimming lessons through the local Surf Life Saving club.
They joined the nippers program and worked their way up the ranks to become senior competitors.
“Once you become a senior competitor it is a requirement that you do your allocated patrol time and do your service to the club so you can compete,” Jack said.
“It really kicked off for us when we did a life saving development camp in Devonport two years ago.
“That really got Nick and I really interested in life saving and we wanted to go further.”
Over the years the Wood brothers have evolved alongside their club, taking on more responsibility and training at every opportunity.
“When people see surf life saving they see us on the beach between the flags but I guess as Surf Life Saving Tasmania continues to develop we are becoming more and more than just between the flags,” Nick said.
“For me being involved in surf life saving and getting the opportunity to be involved in the production of survivor is something I feel very grateful to do because it is such a unique experience and I feel very privileged to go over.”
Nick humbly attributed their achievements to great mentors at their club in Ulverstone, as well as the training and skill development they have undergone across the state.
SLST are currently working with the Australian Aid program, Samoan Tourism Authority and the Australian High Commission in Samoa to continue the programs for an additional four years.
“We have a number of people quite keen to investigate forming a Surf Life Saving Samoa entity which we will support to growing that capacity until they can look after themselves,” Mr Vandenenden said.
Surf Life Saving Tasmania has nearly 2500 members across 24 clubs.
“We are more than just between the flags, we do a lot of things in the community that people may not see,” he said.
