Operation India 2018 Recap
After many years in the making, the International Surf Lifesaving Association just finished its first humanitarian project in Puri, Odisha, India. Seven volunteers from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom met in Bhubaneswar then headed to Puri Beach by school bus to begin the epic three day long basic lifeguarding course. Our hotel overlooked the Mahatma Gandhi park and was right in front of the beach where we conducted our course. Camels greeted us as we walked along the shore and through the crowds. When the course finished it was time to enjoy everything India had to offer. After we explored this wild country, went to several prominent temples, some traveled beyond Odisha to see the famous Taj Mahal.
Each of our hosts, Dr. Sunil Dara, Dr. Rashika Bhardwaj, and Harry Rao collaborated, communicated, and assisted with the project. With around 1,432 deaths happening over the past two years along the regions coastline, something needed to be done. The lifeguard course taught life-saving techniques in the classroom and on the beach, as well as lectures related to professionalism, emergency medical response, resuscitation, and the ocean climate. Many of our participants were members of the nolia community, some were firemen, and others were private lifeguards. Thirty-eight participants braved the dangerous seas to complete our first physical swim event in the ocean. Exhausted and eager, from that point forward each participant was ready to learn in order to help their local community. At the end of the course, twenty-two of the participants earned ISLA’s International Open Water Lifeguard certification.
It was apparent from the start that we were sending shockwaves throughout the region and India as a whole. At the inauguration and graduation, the district magistrate, director of tourism, and superintendent of police attended and learned the impact of developing ocean lifeguard services in Puri. This is just the beginning, and each of the participants, Harry Rao, and Dr. Sunil plan to promote and practice everything they learned from the course.
In addition to running the basic lifeguarding course, ISLA volunteers explored the country of India before and after the course. A visit to the Taj Mahal and the metropolis New Delhi was just the beginning. After exploring Puri, the volunteers headed back to Bhubaneswar, India to explore the cities historical and cultural monuments. The international field hockey championships had just finished so the city was exploding with excitement and energy. We saw Buddhist and Hindu temples, with the most notable being the Udayagiri and Khandagiri cave temples, which hosted monkey families. The sun was setting as we finished our day with the mythical white tiger.
ISLA would like to thank our hosts: Dr. Sunil, Dr. Rashika, Harry Rao, and each of our helpers: Debangshu Das, Pikki Appalaraju, Pikki Ramana, Gangiri Manikyam, and Ank Naesh. Our ISLA volunteers: Flavia McBride, Vasili Pleqi, Amy McCormick, Jonathan Robinson, Guillermo Navarra, Mark Scully, and Paul Hawkins. As well as all the participants and anyone who helped make this project a reality. In the future we hope to return to Puri beach to reunite with all of our new friends and see their progress with ocean lifeguard services in the region.
– MSO Flavia McBride
