Grangemouth instructor has helped create generations of lifesavers

First aid trainer and lifeguard trainer assessor James Hay (68) has been a familiar face at Grangemouth Sports Complex pool since the 1970s and he’s still going strong – teaching people CPR and other techniques on behalf of the Royal Life Saving Society at the Grangemouth Lifesaving Club on Tuesday and Sunday nights.

The former docker’s commitment to the RLSS was officially recognised recently with a medal and a certificate.

James said: “I just like doing it. There are times when only two people turn up to the class, but there are times when 24 people show up. I think the hardest time was the 1980s because a lot of schools stopped teaching swimming.

“You had people showing up to learn life saving who had to be taught how to swim first.”

James, who has never been a lifeguard himself, has certainly taught more than a few during his long career.

“I really only started improving as a swimmer when I did my life saving training. I had a woman come up to me at Denny High School a few years ago and she said I was teaching her grandchild, so I had passed on life saving skills to three generations of her family.

“There are some lifeguards I taught who are now retiring.”

Married to wife Margaret for 46 years, James also passed his life saving knowledge onto son Jym (43), who became a lifeguard at the age of just 16.

“It should be taught in schools,” said James. “It should be compulsory for all sixth year pupils. The more people who know what to do, the more chance there is to save people.”