Life-saving swimming program successfully comes to a close

This morning marked the conclusion of the free life-saving swimming lessons provided by the Belize Police Department and the Belize Coast Guard. The camp successfully equipped children with essential swimming skills for survival in emergencies. News Five’s Azain Heredia visited the classes at the Princess Ramada to learn more. Here’s that story.

 

Azain Heredia, Reporting

At the start of the summer, none of the children you’re seeing here knew how to swim, but by the end of it, all of the participants in the Community Policing Unit Swimming Camp were confident in their ability to do so. The annual programme concluded today after bringing together coast guards and the community policing unit to assist children with free swimming lessons.

 

A.C.P. Howard Gillett, Commander of the National Community Police Center says that this programme is vital because many children may not be able to afford lessons due to their circumstances.

 

 

 

 

A.C.P. Howell Gillett, Nat’l Commander, Community Policing Unit

“It builds a better relationship with young people because oftentimes young people see law enforcement as, people who are making arrests or they see the bad side of what happens in law enforcement, But we are not all about that, we are here to work with our young people, so that we can deliver them to successful adulthood. The idea is to have no need for policing or policing reason for arresting our young people.”

 

 

For years, the Belize Coast Guard has coordinated with the Belize Police Department to carry out the program. Lieutenant Junior Moody told us how the programme has evolved over the years to strengthen its approach.

 

Lieutenant, Junior Andrew Moody, Swim Coordinator

“What I’ve seen is that the children are more eager to learn. Alright, they’re not afraid as the previous classes. We have seen that the children were a little bit afraid. In this class here we seen that they’ve become a little more excited t learn how to swim.”

 

 

 

 

After completing the programme, the participants walked away with exceptional swimming skills.

 

 

 

 

 

Azain Heredia

“How was your experience with this camp?”

 

Nathan Lambey, Participant 

“I just feel like I didn’t know how to swim, but when I believed myself.”

 

Azain Heredia for News Five.