Around 160 Year 5 and 6 students from Forster Public School were treated to a free CPR course on Thursday, July 4.
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Delivered by Tamworth aquatic lifeguard Cameron McFarlane, students were taught practical lifesaving skills, including effective compression, effective breathing, recovery rolls and how to react in an emergency situation.
Mr McFarlane previously taught the course at the school three years ago, and according to relieving assistant principal Susan Gonzalez, it's something she'd like to see occur there on an annual basis.
"I've had really good feedback from our teachers," she said.
"It gives kids a sense of responsibility that they can do it themselves, especially living so close to the water."
Mr McFarlane believed it was vitally important for kids in Australia to learn CPR as they were renowned as some of the biggest water-users in the world.
He said the Forster students were an engaged and responsive bunch who got the grasp of the skills he was teaching very quickly.
He started the NSW Primary School CPR Awareness Campaign eight years ago after having to deliver CPR several times himself and has since educated more than 22,000 students throughout the State.
Following the course at Forster Public School he was set to deliver it at Taree West Public School on Friday, July 5, with plans to expand the program to more schools along the North Coast in the future.
To find out more about the campaign or to request it at your school, click here.
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