CAMERON McFarlane has stood sentinel on the edge of pools for more than a decade keeping watch and trying to turn tides.
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He had to keep grounded and calm just in case the threshing fun of a day at the pool took a fatal turn.
In the job, he turned the swelling tide of death with his CPR skills on five occasions which “could’ve gone either way”.
“Pretty traumatic” experiences, in his terms, and he doesn’t pat himself on the back over it.
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“It’s not because I did it,” he said.
“It’s because I knew how to do it.”
Mr McFarlane reflects on those moments regularly, but in the last seven years he has channeled his energy, and knowledge, into something positive.
He has delivered CPR course to more than 20,000 children in NSW.
A program he designed in Tamworth.
Now he stands on the edge of Australia ready to sluice his knowledge overseas.
Soon, Mr McFarlane will head to Vietnam; a country which could see up to 4000 child drownings annually.
He hoped to deliver his CPR program to 2000 Vietnamese children and 60 teachers to make sure the potentially life-saving lessons flow-on after he leaves.
While it’s an achievement to see the program go global, the trip won’t come without its challenges.
I also feel CPR should be a compulsory subject for primary schools.
- Cameron McFarlane
“One of the biggest challenges is going to be the language barrier,” he said.
Vietnamese company, Hue Help, will provide an interpreter for the Tamworth man’s classes and he has already eyed-off more overseas expansion.
“This is a pilot, nothing is booked or planned, but this could open more countries,” he said.
Mr McFarlane has received support from three Tamworth Rotary Clubs (First Light, Calala and West), while Royal Life-Saving Society Australia and St John’s have donated kits and mannequins to take to Vietnam.
While Vietnam’s dreadful drowning figures might be leagues above Australia, which had 291 deaths in 2017, Mr McFarlane said there was a “epidemic” at home.
“I believe we’ve got a swimming epidemic,” he said.
“So many kids get to high school and can’t swim.
“Whether that’s due to having so many other activities or cost, I'm not sure.
“I also feel CPR should be a compulsory subject for primary schools.
“It can and does save lives.”
He said he had no doubt a child in year five or six could save a life, if they had the skills.
“They show good CPR when do the sessions,” he said.
He said the current CPR procedure was 30 compressions for every two breaths and people should aim to get in 100 beats per minute.