The 2nd course of Canine (K9) water rescue Instructor took place in the city of Jurkalne, Latvia at the Baltic Sea. This event was a result of a mutual cooperation between the International Lifesaving federation, the Belgian Lifesaving Federation and the Latvian Kennel Club. The person responsible for the course was Inguna Tihomirova, a Latvian K9 Water rescue Instructor. She invited 20 candidate instructors from 6 different countries. Latvia (9), Lithuania (1), Ukraine (1), Estonia (2), Belarus (1) and Russia (6).

Karel Mennes from Belgium, an International K9 water Instructor was invited to teach the course. He used the ILS approved programme and teaching methods. The instructor worked in assistance with Yuri Malev, K9 Instructor from the Ukraine.

For a number of reasons, the group arrival was planned into two periods, there was also a smaller group consisting of dog teams which were not involved in the programme. Anyway the members of that group also became active participants of the course. Nevertheless, the programme went on smoothly thanks to the enthusiasm and great potential of the both experienced instructors.

The programme consisted of CPR (people-dogs), AED, Car in the Water, Ice rescue, lifesaving techniques without and with equipment, rescue boat driving and survival rescue for men and dogs.

The weather was outstanding with the average temperature of 28°C. Despite a hostile wind and rather rough waves up to 6 Beaufort the participants managed to apply theoretical skills in practice.

The last day was a real test, a (SERC) competition among the candidate instructors to test their abilities and skills in the violent sea with colder northern wind of 6 Beaufort. To rescue a certain number of victims and to cover the distance of 150 meters in stormy and dangerous environment would be impossible without knowledge and team spirit. All the teams managed to fulfil the rescue tasks using the acquired rescue manoeuvres. Special attention was paid to a Newfoundlander saving a victim all by itself, towing a manikin victim 150m distance towards the beach, than staying on the beach with the rescued victim waiting for the handler with the second victim.

No doubts that philosophy of lifesaving will find its way in different countries in the North and in the hearts of people. Plans were made to organise a third course so that we will be able meet again, the circle of lifesaving is again growing wider from Riga- Vilnius- Tallinn to Saint-Petersburg and Moscow.

Karel Mennes
K9 Water Rescue Instructor