Random reminder

Press, 5 July 1983, Page 34

Random reminder

“GURGLING GALLANTRY”

We must commend the Water Safety Council for their sustained zeal over the last 37 years. During the first “Leam-To-Swim” week in 1937 the Linwood Swimming Club (now regretfully defunct) had such a large number of would-be learners that they were obliged to extend the campaign for a second week. The enthusiasm of the pupils and parents in the grandstand kept club committee members and instructors busily teaching the various water skills including floating, kicking, and arm movements. By the end of the week, some of the timid kids could swim at least four strokes, while the enthusiasts could proudly show Mum and Dad that they had completed 10 strokes. The second week of instruction had an even larger number of applicants as soon as the word had got around the district. Towards the end of the second week, a chunky instructor clad in shorts and tee shirt, from the dryness of the water’s edge was supervising a small class of beginners on the skills of kicking. A small boy ran up to his side and urgently informed him that two boys were drowning in the deep end. The instructor was used to interruptions, so without taking his eye off his

pupils in the water — a cardinal rule that he had always adhered to — he told the intruder to hang on and he would talk to him later. The lad persevered and frantically tugged at the instructor’s shorts and this time was able to yell above the noise as he pointed at two little boys struggling in water that was over six feet deep. There was no time to be lost, so the instructor literally took a running jump beside the two struggling bodies. He managed to heave them out of the water and by the time he had emerged wet and soggy his “patients” appeared none the worse for their immersion. One face was familiar so he asked the lad where they had met before. He was told by the lad he had learned to swim the previous week. “How many strokes can you swim?” asked the instructor. “Four — but my cobber can’t swim at all.” “Why was he in the water?” “He fell in and all the swimming teachers were at the shallow end, so somebody had to rescue him.” This lad certainly had his priorities right.

The instructor was not surprised that the other boy joined the swimming class the following week.