The Lifesaving Foundation is an international charity devoted to saving lives from drowning. Membership is open to adults and organisations supporting its aims. The Foundation's primary aim is to promote and support evidence-based research into drowning prevention and rescue.
The Lifesaving Foundation has formed a drowning research partnership with Waterford Institute of Technology’s School of Health Sciences.
The long-term aim of the partnership is to establish a permanent world class drowning research centre at WIT. The immediate aim is to reduce drowning death numbers through researching the concept of self-rescue in life threatening situations. This is being undertaken in co-operation with An Garda Síochána and An Garda Síochána Retired Members Association. Initial funding will be provided through the Doherty Police Research Fund.
Announcing the partnership WIT President Prof Willie Donnelly commended the work of The Lifesaving Foundation to date and added that the Institute looks forward to developing world-class drowning research including priority areas such as self-rescue. Professor John Wells, Dean of the School of Health Sciences, welcomed the new partnership saying that the Institute’s research capability combined with the Lifesaving Foundation’s drowning expertise would make for a symbiotic relationship benefitting all at risk from drowning worldwide.
On Thursday 1st February 2018, a large donation of drowning books was made to WIT Libraries by John Connolly, Honorary Chief Executive of the Lifesaving Foundation as part of the launch of a research partnership between Waterford Institute of Technology’s School of Health Sciences and The Lifesaving Foundation. This donation of books and audio visual materials will be known as the Lifesaving Foundation Collection. WIT will continue to work with the Lifesaving Foundation in building and developing the collection which will become a pivotal hub for drowning research in the South East of Ireland and which will in turn act as a beacon for national and international audiences focused on saving lives from drowning .
