Pakistan Life Saving Foundation

Non-governmental organization

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guidelines for companies and organizations. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted.
Find sources: "Pakistan Life Saving Foundation" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

This article may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments, a violation of Wikipedia's terms of use. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. (August 2020)

|

Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (August 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

This article is an orphan, as no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; try the Find link tool for suggestions. (November 2022)

|

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS)Established| 2004

|

Founder| Reza Samad
Headquarters| Karachi, Pakistan
Location|

* Karachi, Pakistan

Services| Beach Rescues, Drowning Prevention, Water Safety
Staff| +250 Lifeguards
Website| www.pals.pk

Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS Rescue or PALS) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Pakistan, established in 2004 to provide life-saving services on the beaches of Karachi. It is the country's only free, privately-run, near-shore drowning prevention and rescue body. It employs around 250 lifeguards recruited from the neighboring coastal fishing communities.[1]

## History

[edit]

Karachi's coastline on the Arabian Sea is extremely rough during the monsoon season from mid-May to mid-August, which is also the period of the year when the beaches see the most visitors.[2] Before PALS Rescue was established, there were only 30 designated lifeguards for the city's 27-kilometre (17-mile) beaches, with 18 to 20 lifeguards working on any given day.[3]

Karachi's beaches are additionally hazardous because the beach surface is not leveled and modified to minimize hazards. The strong currents have no hindrance due to absence of coral reefs that usually break these currents.[4] The sea is most dangerous in the monsoon season, when the beaches see major footfall connected with the summer vacations for schools. The beach goers are often unaware of water safety and are not strong swimmers;[5] combined with the scarcity of lifeguards, this resulted in large numbers of drowning cases every year. Eventually in 2004, PALS Rescue was formed as an NGO registered under the Directorate of Social Welfare of the Government of Sindh.

Initially PALS worked to establish a life-guarding service along the most visited beaches in Karachi, appealing to existing life-saving institutions in other countries for assistance. Surf Life Saving New Zealand's Northern Region (SLSNR) offered to help PALS with training and by donating essential equipment. In 2003, SLSNR sent an eight-member delegation to train 175 lifeguards from PALS, including Pakistan Navy and City Government Divers.[6] At the end of the two-week intensive training course, 64 life guards were issued SLSNR Awards and 41 were issued certificates. In 2005, PALS became an independently established surf lifesaving service.

PALS Lifeguards cautioning people against rough waves on Sandspit Beach, Karachi

Before 2004, there were on average 250+ cases of drowning annually on Karachi beaches. PALS Rescue has been able to reduce this figure to near zero. According to the NGO's own data, they have saved almost 5,500 people from drowning along Karachi's beaches.[7] They also conducted over 7,000,000 preventive actions providing advice to beach users that mitigated against the risk of drowning. PALS Rescue has provided first-aid to over 6,000 people.[8]

## International affiliations

[edit]

PALS Rescue is internationally accredited, representing Pakistan in the International Life Saving Federation (ILS) as a full member.[citation needed] It is also closely associated with Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) and is a member of the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS).[citation needed]

## Safe Canal Project

[edit]

PALS Rescue initiated the Safe Canal Project encompassing four villages in Khairpur. The pilot project was inaugurated in 2019 by Nafisa Shah, a Member of the National Assembly (MNA).[9] Under this project, Khairpur's villagers were provided with safety equipment to safeguard against accidents along canal banks, which had previously been prevalent.[9]

The pilot project was part of a planned large-scale development connecting a buoying net across the width of the canal with supporting poles. Anyone moving close to the canal is required to wear a life-jacket which protects them from drowning, and the net will prevent people from being swept away by the water.[9]

## PALS Outdoors

[edit]

PALS Outdoors is the commercial wing of PALS Rescue, established in 2010. It provides recreational activities and adventure tours in various locations in Pakistan, mainly in Karachi and Balochistan. PALS Outdoors established Pakistan's first adventure and ecotourism beach site with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).[10]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "PALS Rescue initiates Safe Canal Project in Khairpur". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
2. ^ Moeen, Heba (2019-05-05). "SOCIETY: LIFE AND DEATH ON KARACHI'S BEACHES". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
3. ^ Latif, Aamir (September 17, 2017). "Pakistan: Drowning incidents taint Karachi city beaches". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
4. ^ "Understanding Waves". Outdoor Swimming Society. 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
5. ^ Caleb, Gloria (2007-07-10). "KARACHI: Beach-goers reject safety advice". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
6. ^ "Pakistan Life Saving Foundation – International Life Saving Federation". Retrieved 2020-06-09.
7. ^ "PALS Rescue saves 176 from drowning during monsoon season – Business Recorder". Retrieved 2020-06-10.
8. ^ "Pakistan Life Saving". Royal Life Saving Society. 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
9. ^ a b c "PALS RESCUE initiates Safe Canal Project in Khairpur". The Biz Update. 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
10. ^ "About Pals Outdoors trips in Karachi, Baluchistan and Pakistan". PALS Outdoors. 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2020-06-09.