Rescue swimmer Eduardo Blasco, with many years of experience saving lives at sea, took part in a meeting with students from the Youth Guarantee Training and Employment Programme (PFAE GJ) Maradeje. During the session, he addressed the present and future of lifeguard services, as well as lessons learned throughout his career. (Rescue swimmers are usually called in when conditions are dangerous or beyond standard lifeguard intervention.)
Blasco also collaborates actively in the drowning prevention campaign “Know the sea, stay safe”, promoted by Adeje Town Hall’s Department of Tourism, headed by Patricia Paulsen Fölling. She explained that the initiative “aims to encourage knowledge of the sea and how to act in challenging situations”. According to Paulsen, thanks to this training, students “will learn how to interpret sea conditions, how to respond to waves, and what measures to take to prevent accidents”.
During the talk, topics included the evolution of the profession, potential improvements to the service, preparation before an intervention and decision-making in extreme situations. Blasco shared experiences from his work in rescue operations and stressed that in every intervention “safety always comes first”.
The rescue swimmer also offered advice to those interested in joining the service, highlighting the importance of continuous training, anticipation and teamwork. His testimony underlined the responsibility involved in acting within seconds and the need to remain calm to ensure effective interventions.
