There’s no greater feeling in the world than the one you get helping to save someone’s life — that’s according to Peter Hughes, a visiting lifeguard trainer from the Red Cross.

During his time as a lifeguard, Mr Hughes had been involved in three rescue attempts and helped to save two people’s lives.

He was recently on Island teaching seven lifeguards and three swimming instructors important life-saving skills and techniques that would help them if an emergency should arise.

As the training manager for the first aid programme at Cayman Islands Red Cross, Mr Hughes was invited to visit to Bermuda to teach the newest batch of local lifeguards.

“I have personally been a lifeguard since I was 16 and I’m a great deal older than that now,” he said. “As most lifeguards do, I got started because I was involved in water-based activities, particularly swimming.

“Usually you’re a swimmer and do bronze, silver and gold in a personal survival course, but that’s an old school approach. These days some countries have a general lifeguard programme, but that hasn’t been introduced in Bermuda yet.”

Mr Hughes’ first rescue attempt involved a child who hit their head while diving at an open air pool in the UK.

“The child had dived off a spring board, but on the way down smacked their head on the board and drifted to the bottom of the pool,” he said. “There was a big pile of blood.

“I was just a young lifeguard at that time, but I was just doing my job and didn’t think any more of it.

“Now I realise all these years later that actual rescues are the exception rather than the rule.”

Mr Hughes said lifeguards won’t have to jump into the water to save someone’s life every day, just as a firefighter or EMT won’t have to rescue someone every day. However, when a crucial moment does arise their skills and training still count for a lot.

On one occasion, Mr Hughes had to rescue someone who had a seizure near the water; another time he went to the aid of a person who had a cardiac emergency.

He said: “People think lifeguards just sit in a chair all day, but they work and train very hard so when something does happen they are prepared.

“Every morning their day begins with some training exercises.

“A lifeguard is in a better position to provide care than anyone else on the beach or at the pool, firstly because they are trained to do it and secondly because they have the equipment available to carry out the rescue.”

Mr Hughes said there were a lot of benefits to becoming a lifeguard. It’s very much a team activity, keeps you fit and provides an important service to the community.

He hopes the individuals who recently completed the training course in Bermuda will walk away with a greater understanding of their responsibilities as lifeguards. He also hopes they gained a better appreciation for the practical programmes that the Red Cross provides.

Mr Hughes said he was actively trying to influence the government back in the Cayman Islands to see the importance in having lifeguards at the pools and on the beaches. It isn’t currently mandated there.

He said: “It’s very easy on a small island to to think we only have three or four beaches and tourism isn’t so important because it’s a rich country.

“But unfortunately it often takes a tragedy now and then to make people understand the need for professional responders.

“That’s what happened in Bermuda ten years ago when you had a child drown on Horseshoe Bay. That sparked the need for Bermuda’s government to look at lifeguard services and I’m just hoping it doesn’t come to that in the Cayman Islands.”

Born in Bahrain, Mr Hughes did his schooling in England, before joining the Royal Navy at age 17.

While with the navy he worked as a Supply and Logistics Officer, handling everything from office administration to computer management.

He wanted to try his hand at something new when he moved to Cayman 15 years ago, at which point he got retrained as a lifeguard.

“I realised there was a need for qualified lifeguards and instructors in Cayman,” he said. “Life guarding tends to be a younger person’s discipline; you don’t see to many older lifeguards for sure, but as I matured I realised there were some management positions available.”

Mr Hughes takes lifeguards through 33 hours of classroom and practical pool based activities, so they know what to do in the event of an emergency.

They also have to renew their qualifications every two years.

But even with all the knowledge in the world, he said the real training for lifeguards happens while on the job.

The Bermuda Red Cross said its lifeguard course compliments its other programmes and provides life skills that can be taken anywhere.

It also provides young people with work opportunities, according to development coordinator Suzanne DeCouto.

“They potentially learn to save a life in a pool situation or anywhere,” Ms DeCouto said. “And the course will certify them as a pool lifeguard.

“Right now we don’t know when we will be offering another lifeguard course. However if anyone is interested they should give us a call to be put on the waiting list and we can let them know when the course will be offered.”

For more information on the course or to register for a future programme, call 236-8253.