Surf’s up for life award

By Tania Martin
PATROLLING the sandy shores of Waratah Beach has won three Monbulk College students awards for lifesaving.
Jessie Eagles, Sam Wines and Nikki Bishop were rewarded recently for their hard work at the Waratah Beach Surf Life Saving Club’s award night.
The three students have spent the past two years undertaking a course in swimming and surf life saving, which is a State Government funded program.
The course is an elective and once completed will give students qualifications in first aid and life saving.
The program is a joint project between the State Government and Life Saving Victoria and gives students the opportunity to learn about first aid, how to surf and about surf life saving. As part of the course, the students have also had to work as volunteer beach patrollers during the summer.
Monbulk College currently has 12 students who are active beach patrollers including Nikki, Jessie and Sam.
At the awards, which were held on Saturday, 21 April, Nikki took home the club champion and iron woman awards.
Jessie was named the best patroller for her commitment to beach patrolling and Sam also won club champion.
Teacher Rose Carn said the surf live saving course has been running for 10 years and was a great way for students to learn how to save lives.
Ms Carn said it was great to see the students being rewarded for their hard work and dedication to the program.