In a survival situation you need to know where you are and how to communicate your position to potential rescuers.

The Importance of Duty of Care

Although the phrase “Duty of Care” is understood by many in the corporate world, it is a phrase that lacks an explicit definition.

The duty of care responsibility held by companies is meant to provide protection for the company as well as its employees.  In this way, a relationship exists between the claimant in a matter and the defendant.

For a duty of care responsibility to be determined, it needs to pass a three part test: Read more

Adrift in the sea

Surviving in Rough Seas

When the dive master of African Dive Adventures was swept offshore into the Atlantic Ocean off Shelly beach, Jean-Pierre Els first thought of God. After drifting over 30kms from where he originally went missing, it is clear the Els decided to take his own survival more personally and use the techniques that we teach during our H.E.A.T courses.

Over the past few months several instances of divers going missing have occurred in South Africa. Whether the cause is rough seas, high swells or powerful winds the net result is that divers drift for many kilometers.

What do you do if you find yourself in the water without a boat or a raft? Read more

KONY: The man who put the infant into Infantry

The man who put the infant into Infantry, and was once possibly the world’s most notorious celebrity.  But how did Joseph Kony become so infamous, sparking not only the Invisible Children movement, but the associated movie and the Kony 2012 awareness campaign almost exactly a year ago? Read more

Survival at Sea

Imagine going to sea with two heavy drinkers, a bikini-clad female and a teetotal sailor.  You are an experienced sailor yourself, who has competed in several professional races.  You, and the rest of the crew, sail into a hurricane and your vessel capsizes.

Owing to the hurricane winds, your survival raft is blown away and as the rest of the ship and cargo sank, you find that the only flotsam afloat is a small Zodiac inflatable.

You and the rest of the crew climb aboard in heavy seas and manage to ride out the storm a few hours later.  With the calm comes the sharks, and ultimately madness. Read more

Location: how to be rescued

Learn from the tragedies of the past how to be rescued in any Location.

Understand how to be rescued in any Hostile Environment, following our signalling survival techniques

A review of two tragedies, one recent and one several decades ago, demonstrate that operating in hostile environments pose a variety of threats that can be mitigated by training and learning certain skill set.  Although the two tragedies occurred in different hostile environments Read more

About African urban areas

As Africa’s population is growing to over 1 billion people, recent surveys have suggested that 40% of this population lives in urban areas.

Whilst the continent remains afflicted by drought, famine, and diseases, many of their problems are experienced within rural areas.

Yet, the de-population of the African countryside has been dramatic since the early 2000s and this migration to the urban areas has been motivated by job opportunities, food security and tribal instability.

Now, the urban infrastructure is under pressure and a serious risk has risen with regards to possible cross contamination between the sanitary and water systems.  Recent cholera and yellow fever epidemics in the larger urban slums of West Africa have caused widespread suffering and food scarcity in South African slums has resulted in widespread xenophobic attacks.

In a wilderness survival situation, caused by a plane or vehicle crash, it is often advisable to stay by your wreck and await the arrival of the emergency rescue personnel. But more thought needs to be given to urban survival situations. Read more

Attracting attention, what to do when lost

Much debate is held by the attendees on our H.E.A.T. courses with regards to rescue.  A common request is how to attract attention and what to do when lost.   A survivor is anyone who is rescued from a hostile environment, whether such an environment exists on land, sea or in an urban setting.  You can get lost at any time, and for many reasons, so you must know how to signal and attract the attention of a search party. Read more