Page 18 - OO_2019

Twenty-five years ago, the Class of ‘93 left the fun times of schooling at Oundle for the exciting world ahead. Sadly, within a year of leaving the School, Nick Moore (Lx 93) and George Gilroy (G 93) tragically lost their lives together in a road traffic accident in the remote Australian Outback. Simon Clark (S 93) and Phil Harrison (G 93) were also in the accident, and would be left with the scars of having to perform emergency first aid on their two friends. It is this tragedy that led to the development of the Adventurer First Aid course.
Statistically, 56% of deaths of males between the ages of 15 and 24 are caused by accidents, compared to 20% of females.
Three years ago, my wife, Sue Fisher, set up Mini First Aid training in Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, providing essential but fun information for expectant parents, parents, grandparents and carers, as well as OFSTED- recognised courses for pupils, teachers and staff. After the tragic events mentioned above, I quickly hoped to add an element to it by giving emergency remote first-aid training to gap-year students. This grew rapidly into Adventurer First Aid.
From a hotel room in Bangalore, I called up Simon in Australia and asked him for his thoughts. He wholeheartedly agreed this course had to be done. And so the work began.
Teaming up with a former Royal Marine colleague from my time as a Commando Helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy, who also had a mutual zest for adventure, we set about writing a class that provided essential preparation and key skills for adventure travel, most importantly
Teaching and practising improvised stretcher techniques at the School
encompassing emergency first-aid medicine, survival and rescue techniques for extreme injuries in extreme situations.
Adventurer First Aid is a fun, interactive, hands-on course designed to instil excitement and confidence for adventures ahead, whilst also providing the skills to deal with the unknown in far-flung places. Be it a head injury jumping off a waterfall in the jungle or a road traffic accident in a capital city around the globe, Adventurer First Aid passes on the skills for safer travelling for both you and your travel companions.
Having launched and ‘beta-tested’ Adventurer First Aid in my now native Somerset and Dorset, and after speaking with Adam Grint (Lx 93), we were then able to
FEATURE
Adventurer First Aid
Stephen Fisher (LS 93) explains how a tragic accident in the Australian Outback that resulted in the deaths of two OOs led to the formation of vital first-aid training for gap-year students
“Whilst all of us would have had an understanding of the principles of first aid from our time at school, in the CCF etc., I have no doubt that a focused, intensive course, such as 'Adventurer', prior to our departure on our gap year travels, would have served us well in the immediate, terrible aftermath of our car accident in remote Western Australia.”
Simon Clark (S 93)
The end-of-course presentation at the School of well-earned certificates
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