This past holiday season, four ISLA lifeguards from the United States met with several lifeguarding agencies in South America. Countries the ISLA team visited were Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. The team met it’s goal of sharing the ISLA mission with our South American brothers and establishing a lifeguarding exchange for next years holiday season with  Servicios Especiales Acuaticos Ltda (SEAL) of Chile.

Besides meeting various lifeguard officials and setting up next years exchange, ISLA volunteers conducted a one day workshop with lifeguards in Coquimbo, Chile and worked along side fellow lifeguards from Servicios Especiales Acuaticos Ltda (SEAL) during the four-day New Years celebration. ISLA volunteers participated in Personal Water Craft (PWC) operator training that was provided by our host Claudio Pradenas Abarca.

The ISLA workshop in Coquimbo was for 28 lifeguards and shared lifeguarding techniques gathered from ISLA operations around the world.  The workshop gained massive media attention, as well as attention of the Chilean Navy which later took the ISLA team on a helicopter marine safety reconnaissance training exercise.

Photo Album from the Exchange | Photo Album from the Trip

Interested in joining an ISLA voluntourism trip? Check out our volunteer stories, learn more about our project in the South America, and fill out the Application online today!