International resources for drowning prevention
These free resources are designed for lifesavers all over the world. You can adapt them to make them relevant to your community.
If you have any questions about how to use these guides in your own organisation, please email us at [email protected].
Flood Safety
As sea levels rise and extreme weather becomes more common, communities need to become more resilient to floods. Training helps search and rescue organisations respond safely and effectively to flooding. Here you’ll find resources like the RNLI Flood Safety Manual, full of essential skills and guidance. It is designed for organisations in areas with limited access to equipment and can be adapted to suit local conditions. There is also a free flood safety awareness course, which we developed with Disaster Ready.
Aquatic survival
We have worked with partners to create an Aquatic Survival programme for low-resource areas. The aim of this programme is to prevent drowning by providing water safety education, teaching people how to save themselves in the water, and teaching people how to save someone else in the water.
The programme includes lessons that can be taught both in the water and in the classroom. The water safety part of the course can be taught without the need to enter the water.
Lifeguarding
Together with the CIPRB (Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh), we have developed resources to help teams implement beach lifeguard services. They are designed for use in areas without specialist equipment and facilities. You can download our Beach Lifeguard Implementation Guide, which helps teams put a patrol in place. It covers beach profiling, rescue equipment, recruitment, fundraising and more. You’ll also find our Beach Lifeguard Manual, which contains essential skills and knowledge for lifeguards.
Community first aid
The Community First Aid Manual covers the principles of first aid, including how to assess a casualty, what to do if a casualty is unconscious, and how to respond to various injuries. Developed with our partners, it is designed for organisations based in low-resource areas with limited access to equipment. It equips people to provide basic first aid in the community, helping injured or unwell people until they receive professional medical attention.
Low cost equipment
Drowning overwhelmingly affects countries with the fewest resources to prevent it. Many communities struggle because they don’t have access to the rescue equipment they need. These instruction manuals show how to make low-cost, sustainable equipment. For example, a low-cost rescue throwline that can be made by local tailors, and a bottle ring that uses old plastic bottles.
These equipment resources should only be used if a compliant product to a relevant standard is not affordable or attainable.
Maritime search and rescue
We have resources to help organisations that want to introduce basic training in rescue boat search and rescue operations. Working closely with other members of the IMRF (International Maritime Rescue Federation), we have developed a Basic Rescue Boat Operator Manual with accompanying Rescue Boat Operator Search Cards. They have been designed as guidance documents and can be adapted to suit your local environment.