Scuba diver Sabir Bux will train around 100 young swimmers selected from various educational institutions in life-saving techniques at his Kalinga Divers’ Foundation located on the Konark-Puri Marine Drive. The youngsters will be stationed at the Puri beach to prevent accidents and act swiftly in emergency situations during Nabakalebar. This is one of the measures the state government is taking to ensure the safety of people on the Puri beach during Nabakalebar and rath yatra. Lakhs of pilgrims are expected during the car festival this year, because devotees consider participation in the car festival after Nabakalebar as one of the most sacred acts in the Jagannath cult. “The lifesavers will be deployed one week before commencement of the nine-day car festival,” said Bux. In the first phase, 50 swimmers will be trained from January 20 to 23, and in the second phase from February 2 to 5, the rest will be taught the skills. The youngsters were selected after screening of over 600 swimmers at a camp. The swimmers will be trained in various life-saving skills such as recognising and assessing dangerous situations, reacting in the right way, swimming short and long distances and searching underwater. They will be taught these techniques with or without the rescue equipment. “We will train them physically and theoretically. We have also invited experts in the field to impart essential and the right skills. Focus will be on instructing the swimmers on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which is a life-saving technique during emergencies,” said Bux, who figures in the Limca Book of Records. To enhance the fitness of the lifesavers, training in various water sports such as scuba diving and snorkelling will also be given. Following local training, Bux will accompany the swimmers to the National Institute of Watersports in Goa in April. There, they will undertake a 12-day professional course in the life-saving techniques for beach lifeguards at the institute that has been set up by the ministry of tourism as an apex body for training, education and research in water sports in the country. An official said the initiative would also help tackle crowd on the Puri beach while strengthening the lifeguard services. “We have taken a number of initiatives to ensure the safety of tourists, especially on the beach. This is one of the major steps. We are making sure that the youngsters receive proper training, so that they are able enough to handle the emergency situations. This would also ensure their involvement in the grand festival,” said Puri district sub-collector Madhusudan Das. Apart from the selected swimmers, Bux is also training members of the local fishermen community in the life-saving techniques. “Together, the fishermen and the youngsters will work to strengthen the safety measures on the beach,” said Bux. Bux was born on July 10, 1966 in Sundargarh district. After securing his mechanical diploma while working as a sales executive in Jeddah, he also undertook an advance open water course, which enables a diver for diving at night. Within a short while, Bux was diving as a professional and capable of removing his gas cylinder, mask and regulator even at a depth of 60ft. He also holds a certificate for under water photography and videography.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 03:57:15 +0000
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