With a void in lifeguarding services in his West African home country of Ghana, Felix Uzor made the cross-Atlantic trip to the United States to learn the latest in ocean rescue techniques this summer. After watching the Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue (WBOR) team take third place at the recent national lifeguard championships, Uzor added the strand to his American lifeguarding tour.
He wasn’t disappointed with the decision. On Monday, Aug. 17, he witnessed Wrightsville Beach lifeguards execute a challenging rescue of a spinal cord injury victim.
“Everybody knew what to do,” Uzor said. “I took a video of it, and I’m going to tell people at home, ‘This is how you do it.’”
After traveling from his home city of Accra, Uzor first met the Wrightsville Beach lifeguards in Daytona Beach, Fla., when the team competed in the United States Lifeguarding Association National Lifeguarding Championships from Aug. 6-8. There, Uzor booked his trip to meet WBOR Captain Jeremy Owens and to see the lifeguarding operation firsthand.
“We are far behind what the American lifeguards are doing, and that is why I’m here — to learn,” Uzor said. “What I’ve seen here far exceeds what we do at home.”
Owens gave Uzor free access to information collected by WBOR over time, including PowerPoint presentations, lifeguard training procedures and schedules, community outreach programs and junior lifeguard organization.
“We’re taking him through the whole program,” Owens said. “We’re always trying to pass on the knowledge. The more people we can get trained, the more people we can save.”
Uzor holds a master’s degree in sport and exercise science from London South Bank University and started a company, the Felix Fitness Foundation, in 2011 to fill a void in lifesaving training. He said the resources and lessons provided by WBOR, like how to rescue a victim who has a spinal cord injury, will help save lives in busy coastal areas of Ghana, like Labadi Beach.
“It’s six miles and it’s the busiest beach in Accra — way busier than here,” he said.
Uzor also wishes to host Wrightsville Beach lifeguards in his home city.
“I’m hoping I can have them come back to Africa and have them help us with some of the issues we are not very good at,” he said.
Uzor, who had never before visited the United States, will visit a few beaches in southern California before flying home Aug. 31. Charitable organizations based out of the United Kingdom, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, helped fund Uzor’s journey to the United States.
“It has been a great opportunity,” he said.
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