Best lifeguard award 2015

MINISTER for Tourism, Equality, Social Services and Housing, the Hon. Samantha Sacramento presented Daniel Yeo with the Royal Life Saving Society’s “Giovanni Sene Award” for the best lifeguard to qualify for the National Beach Lifeguard Qualification 2015 on December 17.

In her address Ms Sacramento congratulated Daniel for achieving this award and praised all of the lifeguards for the excellent and valuable work carried out by them every summer on the beaches of Gibraltar.

President of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Gibraltar, Norbert Sene, explained that after consultation with the other RLSS trainer/assessors and the Gibraltar Tourist Board’s beaches management team, Daniel had been selected due to his outstanding performance during the training and his exemplary attitude, reliability and diligence on beach. He added that this was an extra special nomination as Daniel is brother to last year’s winner, Jack.

Five groups were trained and assessed for this year’s bathing season. 

In the first two groups, potential lifeguards undertook an intensive training course in mid-March in order to gain the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) National Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NBLQ) and be qualified for the Gibraltar Tourist Board’s now established initiative to have lifeguards available on Gibraltar beaches at weekends from the start of the Easter weekend which is before the official bathing season. 

Two further groups undertook the training and assessment in May. The fifth group, a group of qualified lifeguards re-qualified in June.

The candidates had to achieve a good, basic level of fitness and competence in the water as well as showing proficiency in the principles of beach supervision and rescue. The assessment is designed to determine the proficiency of anyone engaged at any time in the role of beach lifeguard or undergoing training towards this role.

The NBLQ is the benchmark for the certification of beach lifeguards in the UK and Gibraltar and is also the standard required for lifeguards by the International Life Saving Federation.