[Lifesaving] Bristol Competition 2012

The second competition weekend of the BULSCA calendar has been and gone. This time around it was the turn of Bristol to host University lifesavers from around the UK, as they held their second league competition. Their inaugural effort for the 2011/12 season had been a great success (with some reservations regarding the social muttered from some of the older members), and we were all interested to see whether they’d be able to repeat it.

Hamish, the club mascot, psychs himself up for the competition. (Credit: David Brown)

We initially had two teams of Seacows ready to make the trip, along with an additional body (the training officer, still recovering from a broken collarbone over the summer). However the week before the competition one of A-team developed tendonitis in their shoulder, putting them out of action and dropping us to seven competitors. Bristol were also still desperate for judges at the 11^th hour, and so our club Captain volunteered to drop out and judge, leaving us with 6. A further competitor decided to stay at home if he wasn’t going to be competing, leaving 8 of us make the trip. I was tempted to drop out as well and judge, something I’ve been trying to do all year, but I was persuaded to captain the team to give the inexperienced competitors a ‘better experience’.

Once again we left later than we wanted to, but the trip was uneventful and we made excellent time. Staying with one of the Bristol committee members, we found a Furby in one of their flatmates rooms, which led to some pretty funny scenes of both revulsion and adoration from assorted members of the club.

Ondrej finds his new best friend. (Credit: Hanna Boström)

We knew that the competition was taking place at a local sports centre owing to unfinished building work at the Bristol Union pool, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Apparently the Bristol pool was accidentally drained the day before the competition, so we wouldn’t have been able to swim there anyway! (The environment agency was reportedly very interested in the sudden appearance of large quantities of chlorinated water in the ecosystem). Before that though there was the important matter of breakfast to be sorted out; bacon sandwiches at the house of the Bristol club president deliciously catered for this. We then got rather lost on our way to the pool. After going round the same roundabout three times within sight of the sports centre, and ending up on the wrong side of a fence to the car park, we eventually made it.

Naturally we were late in the draw, and isolation was long and drawn out. It lasted quite a while. Did I mention that we were there a long time yet? Eventually we made it out, to be greeted by ‘team cripple’, our two members with injured shoulders, who had been tasked with carrying everyone’s bags and kit around. Hmmmm. The dry was set in a construction yard, and we were supposedly late for work. On entering we were greeted by the site of a manikin covered in rubble, an unconscious person touching a socket, a crushed leg, a third unconscious casualty (breathing), and the site manager at his desk. Part way through the incident another casualty rushed in hyperventilating.  We dealt with everything in a rather half-hearted fashion to be honest. Our resident medic performed excellent CPR, but the other team members incorrectly performed the recovery position, and were so worried about ‘dying’ that they were overly cautious moving wires away from the electrocution. I in turn did a poor job of dealing with the crush and open, bleeding fracture, but did manage to make a phone call for help. I was almost hyperventilating myself by the end, and shaking. Normally after an incident I feel as though I’ve been performing an initiative and adaptability test (which I have), but this felt more like a real first aid incident. I’ve not felt that in a long time, and it was quite scary.

I took the last leg of the swim-tow, to try and perform my traditional 'catch the

field' maneuver. (Credit: Hanna Boström)

The wet was just around the corner, and I felt went much better. On the side were an asthmatic when we entered, and a lifeguard around the corner with a broken leg, a torpedo buoy, and a radio. In the water were a head injury clinging to a float, a panicking non-swimmer, and a weak swimmer.  There was also a pole to use as an aid. Whilst I got one team member to deal with the asthmatic, I sent the other two in to get the weak swimmer and the head injury. Meanwhile I threw the torpedo buoy to the non-swimmer, which I was pleased to see actually worked. We then grouped everyone on the side whilst I attempted to make a radio call (the reception was awful). We’d seen a manikin on the side but clearly out of bounds, so I knew there was a BOB somewhere, and just before the end of the incident I spotted it in the second pool area. I think I scared my teammate when I shouted at them to go get it!

The speeds went pretty well. We got two in in the rope throw, which was disappointing, but the medley and swim tow went rather well considering the team was myself plus three petite ladies. Nothing spectacular, but solid performances that netted us decent finishing positions.

Team photo at Tebay services. Note the height difference between me and the others! (Credit: Hanna Boström)

After the traditional post-competition pizza we got the results, and found that we’d come 10^th! That was an improvement on Southampton, and a great result for a team that, aside from me, had experienced a mere 6 (or so) competitions between them. We duly celebrated at the social, albeit in differing fashions as I once again spent a pleasant evening chatting to various people. The trip home was uneventful, but included a stop in the Midlands for more bacon sandwiches. Yummy.