Primary 5 pupils recently took part in a ten-week block of swimming lessons at Balfron High School. As well as sharpening their skills on various swimming strokes, they were made aware of vital safety skills in case they had to survive in water unexpectedly. Wearing t-shirt and leggings, they jumped into the water and immediately made themselves float for 60-90 seconds on their backs to acclimatise to the cold water. Then they treaded water and created buoyancy aids using their clothing whilst alerting rescuers for help. Cody MacPhee (P5) explained, ‘I learned how to make a buoyancy aid out of my pyjama bottoms-this was tricky the first time but the second time I got it done really quickly!’ Useful advice for Senior Primary pupils on ‘Float to Live’ can be found on www.respectthewater.com
The Wee Vine 