Training begins at Faré beach

Every morning on Faré beach, trainees perform laps to prepare for careers in aquatic rescue. Through this ten-week training program, the Departmental Training Center of Mayotte hopes to contribute to strengthening the number of professionals on the island, as the need for drowning prevention remains significant.

Structure of the training program

The program, organized by the Departmental Training Center of Mayotte (CDF 976), affiliated with the National Federation of Swimming and Sports Professions (FNMNS), began on September 28, 2026, and lasts fifty days, five days a week and seven hours a day. Trainees perform two hours of swimming daily, complemented by five hours of theory.

Skills and qualifications required

The training must also prepare them for technical swimming tests, including a 400-meter freestyle and a 100-meter four-stroke swim, as well as for obtaining the PSE1 and PSE2, two first aid qualifications. The SSA, dedicated to aquatic rescue, is also part of the program as an option, according to the center's brochure.

Importance of the initiative

Francis Bovincini, president of the CDF 976, argues that the initiative is essential due to the lack of professionals in Mayotte and the need to develop paths allowing young people in the territory to access the professions of swimming and aquatic rescue. He notes that this first step should allow the creation of a pool of candidates capable of continuing their path towards a professional qualification, emphasizing the need to adapt training to the constraints of trainees, some of whom are already working in parallel.

Future training sessions planned

A new step is announced for spring 2027. A first session of the BPJEPS AAN should be organized directly in Mayotte, in March or April 2027, in collaboration with the FNMNS, the DRAJES, and the CREPS of La Réunion. The training should allow candidates who have met the prerequisites to continue their path towards the professions of aquatic supervision and management.

Support from institutional partners

The initiative was set up with the help of several institutional partners, including the Regional Academic Delegation for Youth, Engagement, and Sports (DRAJES), the Sésame program, the France Relance plan, and the CREPS of La Réunion.

Challenges with infrastructure

However, training professionals is not always enough if the infrastructure does not allow them to be accommodated in good conditions. Francis Bovincini, a former lifeguard in the CRS, points out that some equipment are not sufficiently used. He cites in particular a structure inaugurated in Sakouli, which has since been left in a state of abandonment, and installations at Musicale Plage, which he estimates could be used more to contribute to the safety of swimmers.

Difficulties in setting up rescue posts

In Petite-Terre, the setting up of rescue posts seems particularly complex. At the Faré beach, where trainees are currently training, he points out the obstacles encountered with the communes and the lack of sites adapted to the installation of surveillance devices. He also mentions the Petit Moya beach as a possibility, while noting the constraints related to the stability of the cliff and the restrictions that may result from them, which the representatives of the commune would have highlighted.

Future training location

The trainer does not, however, consider the situation as a dead end. He cites the floating pool at Bandrélé, which will host the trainees during the last weeks of their preparatory training. This installation will allow them, in particular, to work "turns" thanks to turning plates, from early November to early December next year.

Long-term goals for rescue infrastructure

In the long term, the head mainly wants other rescue posts to be installed on the island and for lifeguards to be mobilized on these structures to ensure beach surveillance.

Comprehensive approach to aquatic safety

Beyond professional training, Francis Bovincini advocates a comprehensive approach to aquatic safety. For him, the development of swimming learning must go hand in hand with better supervision of swimming sites. "In Mayotte, it is mainly necessary to learn to swim to prevent drownings," he argues.

Collaboration with local actors

The head estimates that the skills acquired in water, combined with the presence of professionals capable of intervening, can contribute to preventing accidents. "There are many drowning deaths, and we can solve this through swimming learning as well as the supervision of swimmers," he says. He cites Alain Baron, a lifeguard and president of the Aquatic'Nage Mayotte club, who offers swimming learning activities.

Supporting existing initiatives

The training center sometimes intervenes as a complement to these initiatives, mobilizing its trainees to contribute to the supervision and safety of activities. "We come to support our colleagues," he summarizes. The Mayotte Marine Nature Park is also among the actors with whom cooperation could contribute to developing prevention and aquatic safety.

Long-term vision for young swimmers

For the head, the challenge is to advance young swimmers, consolidate their level, and then direct them towards aquatic rescue qualifications, and for some, towards the profession of lifeguard. He thus intends to promote the emergence of a local professional sector, while giving more opportunities to young Mahorais.

Opportunities and career prospects

He explains that from childhood, the goal is to train young swimmers, so that they become average swimmers, so to speak, and then pass the SSA and become lifeguards. He presents this profession as a useful job, serving humanity, which can also offer interesting salary perspectives depending on working conditions.

Collaborative efforts for success

To develop this sector, the CDF 976 relies on cooperation between training organizations and institutions. "With the DRAJES, the CREPS, and the FNMNS, we work hand in hand to try to get our feet out of the water," concludes Francis Bovincini, not without a touch of humor.

Need for continued commitment

It remains to concretize these ambitions. The training of new professionals constitutes an essential first step, but its success will also depend on the opportunities offered to trainees, the available equipment, and the implementation of appropriate surveillance devices. These are projects that require significant commitment from the elected officials of the concerned communes to achieve.