Surf Life Saving Tasmania’s (SLSTas) Project Officer for Coastal Safety, Dylan Twine, recently travelled to Vietnam in a volunteer capacity, helping support local lifeguards through water safety and CPR training initiatives.
SLSTas is a member of Surf Life Saving Australia.
A member of Port Sorell Surf Life Saving Club, Dylan joined a small group of volunteers during a family trip to Vietnam, where an existing connection with Surf Life Saving Vietnam led to an opportunity to contribute equipment and training support.
“My wife and I lived in Vietnam more than a decade ago and have maintained very close ties to the country ever since,” he said.
“My wife spent several years working in orphanages there, and we still have many friends in Vietnam.
“When we started travelling back with our children recently, I became increasingly aware of the challenges around water safety and drowning prevention.”
Vietnam continues to face significant drowning challenges, particularly among children. Wanting to contribute in a meaningful way, Dylan reached out to Surf Life Saving Vietnam to explore how he could help.
Through that initial contact online, he connected with David Field from Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club, who has been involved with Surf Life Saving in Vietnam for many years. David then introduced Dylan to Surf Life Saving Vietnam President Thin Vu, helping establish the relationships that ultimately led to the equipment donation and training opportunity.
Rather than establishing a new program, the focus quickly turned to supporting the work already being undertaken by Surf Life Saving Vietnam, local lifeguards and volunteers.
“David and Thin were really the driving force behind the event and training programs being delivered in Vietnam,” Dylan said.
“We were simply looking for ways to support the fantastic work they are already doing.”
Rather than establishing a new program, the focus quickly turned to supporting the work already being undertaken by local lifeguards and volunteers.
Through fundraising efforts and donations from Port Sorell Surf Life Saving Club and Bicheno Surf Life Saving Club, alongside the generous donation of CPR training mannequins from Laerdal, the group was able to provide new training equipment, including advanced QCPR mannequins and AED training devices.
The equipment was delivered during the Southeast Asian Lifeguard Championships in Da Nang, where Dylan and fellow Tasmanian surf lifesaver Megan Hampton from Bicheno SLSC were able to conduct a CPR training session for local lifeguards.
Around 14 Da Nang lifeguards participated in the session, with the equipment set to benefit approximately 100 lifeguards across the region through ongoing training.
“The biggest thing was introducing the QCPR mannequins,” Dylan said.
“They’d never had access to that type of technology before. The mannequins provide real-time feedback on compression depth, rate and overall CPR effectiveness, which gives trainees a much better understanding of how to deliver high-quality CPR.
“We probably take that technology for granted in Australia, but for them it was completely new and incredibly valuable.”
Dylan said he was struck by the enthusiasm and commitment of the Vietnamese lifeguards.
“They’re incredibly motivated and eager to learn,” he said.
“Surf lifesaving in Vietnam is still developing and they don’t always have access to the same resources, equipment or training opportunities that we do.
“Being able to share some knowledge and provide equipment that supports their ongoing development was really rewarding.”
While no formal future program has been established, Dylan hopes the relationship between Australian and Vietnamese surf lifesavers can continue to grow.
“Whatever happens next needs to be driven by what the local community wants and needs,” he said.
“We don’t want to create something that isn’t sustainable. So, the goal is to support the work they’re already doing and help build local capability.”
Dylan believes there is strong potential for future collaboration, particularly through training exchanges and ongoing support from Australian surf lifesavers.
One area he identified as particularly important is overcoming language barriers to make training even more effective.
“If there are Vietnamese-speaking members of the surf lifesaving community in Australia, they’d be incredibly valuable in helping bridge that gap,” he said.
“Being able to deliver training in both languages while understanding surf lifesaving practices would make a huge difference.”
The experience highlights the far-reaching impact surf lifesavers can have beyond their own communities, with Tasmanian volunteers helping contribute to water safety initiatives on an international scale while supporting the ongoing efforts of local lifeguards in Vietnam.