The Bermuda Red Cross and The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme have banded together to teach young people how to be lifeguards.

This came after the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award Scheme, a progressive award programme for 11 to 24-year-olds, was looking for something additional to add in their programme.

Organisers from the programme joined forces with The Bermuda Red Cross, who had a shortage of lifeguards, to train six young people ages 11 to 14, to develop their aquatic and leadership skills.

Aquatic instructor for the Red Cross, Dean Bottomly said: "We realised there is not a lot of things for our youth to do in terms of sports, apart from soccer and cricket. I thought this would be an interesting programme for them to get involved in.

"In addition to teaching them lifeguarding, it helps to develop leadership skills, teaches them responsibility and prevention of aquatic emergencies."

He said that this is an introductory course that will go towards earning their DofE bronze pin.

"There are 50 lesson plans, which include: prevention, fitness, response, leadership and professionalism, among others."

In addition, the organisation is planning to offer lifeguarding as a summer course and the graduates of this programme will be allowed to work as councillors.

He added: "Part two of the programme is called Shallow Water Attendance, which happens at the silver level of DofE and allows the participants to become qualified lifeguards."