12 January 2026
Wiluna students rise to the Community Rescue Club challenge
Students from Wiluna Remote Community School jumped at the chance to learn lifesaving swimming and rescue skills in Term 4 thanks to Royal Life Saving WA’s Talent Pool program.
Delivered with support from the K Farmer Dutjahn Foundation and the Western Australia Police Force, Talent Pool Goldfields Coordinator Clint Kelleher travelled to Wiluna Community Pool to run two days of Community Rescue Club sessions. The Community Rescue Club gives school aged children the chance to learn rescue skills, build confidence in the water and understand how to help in an emergency.
Clint’s visits on 10 November and 1 December brought more than 25 students to the pool each day. Despite the initial cold weather, everyone showed fantastic enthusiasm and were eager to take part in every activity. The program guided students through a range of skills including how to put on a lifejacket in the water, how to move safely while wearing it and what to do when a rescue situation occurs. They also practised simple but effective rescue techniques with ropes, noodles and kickboards, and boat capsize drills using inflatable canoes. These activities gave students an opportunity to understand real rescue situations and practise calm and effective responses.
While in Wiluna, Clint also delivered a Bronze Medallion requalification for two local high school teachers, ensuring more adults in Wiluna hold current qualifications in lifesaving and aquatic safety.
Wiluna Community Pool continues to be a welcoming place for children and families to visit. Royal Life Saving WA Pool Manager Kyle Fawcett and Shire of Wiluna Community Development Coordinator Bevan supported the program by preparing warm food for students after each session to help them warm up and refuel, including toasted sandwiches, macaroni cheese pasta and fresh fruit.
Community Rescue Club and Talent Pool continue to play an important role in promoting water safety in remote parts of the state. This work is especially important in Aboriginal communities, where children are 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a drowning incident than non-Indigenous children. Programs that strengthen confidence, skill development and access to safe aquatic spaces are vital in reducing this gap and supporting long-term community wellbeing.
Royal Life Saving WA is grateful to those who helped support the program, including Clint Kelleher for delivering the training, Wiluna Remote Community School for their support in coordinating student participation, and the Wiluna Community Pool team, including pool manager Kyle, for providing a safe and supportive learning environment.
Thank you to the K Farmer Dutjahn Foundation for its ongoing support in creating opportunities for young people to build essential swimming and lifesaving skills and strengthen community engagement at the pool. We also thank the Western Australia Police Force for its support of the Talent Pool program across regional WA, helping young people develop water safety knowledge and employment skills.
To learn more about Royal Life Saving WA’s work in Indigenous participation, visit the link below:
