It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a…MarineLab instructor?

Instructor Lucy and our boat rescue dummy, Bob.

Captain Jimmy, Instructor Maria, and Instructor Alisa pulling Bob back on board.

Instructor Molly bringing Bob back on board.

Meet Bob, one of the newest additions to the MarineLab staff. Bob is a 170ish pound dummy that we used for our boat rescue trainings earlier this year! Over the course of two days, our staff braved the chilly water to freshen up their rescue skills. Many of our programs are spent snorkeling off our program vessels so practicing our offshore emergency action plan is an important part of our staff’s safety training. Our captains played the role of unconscious victims as our instructors took turns performing a long distance rescue tow back to the boat. The waves and water temperature made the scenario that much more chaotic and life-like. Once the instructors got back to the boat, everyone got a chance to carry Bob, fender legs and all, up the ladder. Instructors then practiced performing CPR while the vessel was underway.  This ensures staff are comfortable with life saving techniques in real life situations - wind, waves, etc. Bob is also used for Man Overboard drill practice. With the boat running at full speed, Bob “falls” overboard. Instructors take turns practicing as mates and role-playing as students so staff can practice all man overboard protocols, including throwing flotation devices and retrieving Bob. 

All instructors are American Red Cross Lifeguards and use their skills every day to keep our students safe. Whether the groups are snorkeling in the lagoon or out at the coral reef, our staff is trained and prepared to respond to any emergency that may come up. We have monthly lifeguard refresher trainings to spend time reviewing and practicing proper responses to various scenarios we could encounter at MarineLab. All Captains are First Aid and CPR certified, adding an extra layer of safety while out on the water. While our focus at MarineLab is marine education, safety is always our number one priority. Our staff work hard to ensure our emergency response skills are fresh so that we can provide a safe environment for all MarineLab participants.