We are proud to report on a donation of Pool Rescue manikins to several low-resource nations through an impactful partnership with the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Commonwealth and the International Lifesaving Federation.
The six manikins, now being used in South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Sri Lanka, and India, have enhanced training programs, equipping lifeguards and lifesaving trainees with essential skills to handle real-life water rescue situations.
The Pool Rescue manikin was designed and tested with assistance from RLSS UK and has since been approved by them for various elements of the GEN 10 NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification). In 2024 the manikin was also awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation and is currently in use by thousands of lifeguards all around the world to improve their lifesaving skills.
Lifesaving Impact Across the Globe
In South Africa, the manikins are in active use at Lifesaving South Africa, where six lifeguards recently completed essential water rescue training with the support of Ruth Lee’s manikins. This equipment provides hands-on practice with drowning victim scenarios, boosting the readiness of lifeguards at public swimming pools.
Sri Lanka Life Saving has incorporated the manikins into its Pool Lifeguard courses, held twice monthly since June 2024. Trainees have gained invaluable experience in rescue techniques, with the manikins enhancing the realism and effectiveness of each session.
In Kenya, the Kenya Lifesaving Federation has trained over 70 students since March 2024 using the donated manikin at the renowned Kasarani Aquatic Stadium in Nairobi. This training prepares lifesavers to handle high-stakes rescue situations in some of the busiest aquatic facilities in the region.
In the Caribbean, the Trinidad & Tobago Lifesaving Society and Jamaica have similarly integrated these manikins into their lifeguard training programs, bringing much-needed resources to these communities and bolstering their lifesaving capabilities.
Meanwhile, RLSS India has commenced practical training with its manikin and conducted several demonstrations during its lifeguard training sessions. It has also made a demonstration video and plans to use the manikin for a rescue demonstration and practical training session during its Pool Lifesaving National Championship at Bengaluru, which over 500 participants attend.
While the donation process presented logistical challenges, including navigating customs clearance in multiple countries, the commitment and collaboration between Ruth Lee, RLSS Commonwealth and the International Lifesaving Federation ensured these essential tools reached the communities that needed them most. Ruth Lee Ltd is committed to overcoming these barriers in future projects to ensure equitable access to life-saving training resources.
Clive Holland, Deputy Commonwealth President for the RLSS Commonwealth said:
“We are delighted to have established a partnership with Ruth Lee Ltd and are grateful for the support they have been able to offer our members in low-resourced nations.
Many of our member organisations struggle to obtain equipment to carry out their training and activities, and the rescue manikins that that been donated by Ruth Lee enable them to offer high-quality training using the latest equipment.
We look forward to continuing and growing the partnership RLSS has with Ruth Lee to ensure more low-resourced lifesaving nations can benefit in the future.”
Karin Obus, Executive Director of the International Life Saving Federation went on to say;
“We are grateful to Ruth Lee Ltd for the opportunity to donate rescue manikins to 6 of our member organisations in low-income nations.
In low-income nations where drowning rates are often the highest, all assistance to help establish or improve lifeguard training is very important and highly appreciated.
The high-quality Ruth Lee rescue manikin will help improve lifesaving skills and thus contribute to ILS’s objective of helping to achieve drowning prevention worldwide.”
Sarah Hampson, Ruth Lee Ltd’s Global Marketing Manager manages the company’s CSR projects and said,
“This donation highlights Ruth Lee’s ongoing commitment to support life-saving organizations globally. Through this partnership with RLSS Commonwealth and the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS), we hope to empower resource-constrained regions with quality training tools, helping build safer communities and better-prepared lifeguards.
We are extremely proud to see our Pool Rescue manikins swimming in pools across the world, and even more so when we see the impact they have on groups that previously had no access to such training tools.
These manikins were provided from a stock of donated manikins we previously delivered to the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS) and with the help of the RLSS Commonwealth in identifying teams that would benefit most. Special thanks to both the RLSS Commonwealth and ILS for their ongoing commitment to drowning prevention and improving water safety around the world.”