Women’s Month: Meet Natasha – a paramedic, lifeguard, air sea rescue technician and surfer
National Women’s Month is an opportunity to celebrate every woman’s achievements, contributions and the important role they played and continue to play in the progress of the country and its people.
ER24 commends every woman for their contributions made toward a better South Africa. We are proud to have a number of these women in our employ, women who go beyond the call of duty, women who have dedicated their lives to saving and being there for people in their greatest time of need.
Among the successful women working at ER24 is Natasha Kriel from the ER24 Cape Town South Metropole base in Constantia.
Not only is she an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic but also a lifeguard, air sea rescue technician, surfer and soon to be triathlon competitor.
Kriel (29), who lived in Gauteng until the age of nine before moving to Cape Town, wanted to become a professional dance choreographer/composer after completing her schooling career but soon realised that saving lives was her passion.
“I did dancing as a subject while in school but really enjoyed the anatomy/sport science syllabus. My love for the human physiology was triggered. After school I worked as a swimming teacher to pay for my studies. I completed first aid courses as it was a requirement. This was also a requirement for lifesaving. I assisted a number of people with these skills however, felt I needed to learn more. I completed the Basic Life Support (BLS) course in order to do more for people in need while on duty as a lifeguard.
“One day in 2013, while on duty as a lifeguard, I witnessed a man go into cardiac arrest. Two lifeguard’s rushed to him and immediately started CPR. A couple of minutes later, ER24 arrived and collectively, we continued treating the patient. I could not help but feel that I needed to improve on my patient treatment and knowledge. I applied to work at ER24 the following week. Once I started working in the pre-hospital setting, I realised what a large knowledge gap I had and decided to improve my skills,” said Kriel.
She qualified as an Intermediate Life Support (ILS) medic in 2014 and later, studied further to become an ALS paramedic. She completed her ALS course earlier this year.
She is glad she furthered her studies. Kriel said she is fulfilled everyday knowing that she makes a difference in people’s lives.
Having learnt a lot in recent years, Kriel opted to share her knowledge with others. She lectures during Continuous Professional Development (CPD) evenings. The aim of the courses is to keep medical practitioners up to date with the latest research and improve patient treatment.
Kriel the lifeguard
Kriel has always been an avid surfer and ocean lover. She became a lifeguard in 2012. “Lifesaving seemed like the natural progression for someone spending most of their free time in the ocean.
“Our lives are filled with meeting deadlines and stress. Lifesaving is the sport I use for relaxation and fitness. The ocean is definitely a force to be humbled by. As lifeguards, we have to ensure we remain competent by training continuously and knowing how to use our rescue equipment. The restless ocean, big swells and strong winds are the fun parts of the training. Volunteering my off-time at the beach is my excuse to spend time in the ocean. Saving lives, whether out on the roads as an operational paramedic or at the ocean, is my passion,” she said.
Kriel, who belongs to the Milnerton Surf Lifesaving Club, also competes in lifesaving competitions.
For the 2012/13 season, Kriel took second place for individual sprints, second place for flags, third place for surf swim rescue and second place for board rescue at the Cape Championships held in Mosselbay. She took bronze for flags at the provincial championships.
During the 2013/2014 season, Kriel received gold for board rescue, silver for surf swim rescue and gold for beach relay at the Cape Champs. During the provincial championships, her team won overall gold for the province. Kriel received a bronze for the swim/board/ski/run relay medley and gold for beach sprints. She took fourth place for flags and silver in beach sprints at the Lifesaving South Africa Surf Nationals.
She did not compete in the 2014/15 season as she was completing her ALS course.
Sea rescue:
Kriel applied to become an air sea rescue technician in 2014. Once her application was approved, she had to endure a tough fitness assessment to ensure her mental and physical wellbeing was up to standard. She was successful. Speaking about what the job entails, Kriel said, “You have to ensure you are physically fit and strong as well as be ready for all that mother nature can throw at you at any time. We train continuously.
“It is worth it as there is nothing more enjoyable to me than being out at sea with the rotor wash pushing down on you, the adrenaline pumping and salty ocean spray in your eyes in rough conditions where one experiences the raw power of mother nature.
“We can be called out to at any time of the day for a rescue. The helicopter has to take off within five minutes of receiving the call. That gives us about 10 minutes to don our rescue gear and go to the nearest helicopter landing pad. The rescue would entail being picked up by the rescue helicopter at the closest helicopter pad all geared up, flying to the incident location and assessing the situation. Once the patient is spotted, the rescue technician either jumps out of the helicopter into the ocean or is hoisted down. The patient is secured onto a harness and lifted out of the water. If the patient is not visible, we conduct a search and rescue operation. Given the extreme temperatures of our waters and weather, the rescue needs to be conducted fast in order to save the person’s life. If the patient is not found, we hand over to the SAPS for body recovery,” said Kriel.
Triathlon
Between being a paramedic, lifesaver, air sea rescue technician and surfer, Kriel is also training for triathlons and hoping to start an ER24 sport group considering the number of sports enthusiasts in the company.
When asked how she manages to do all that she does, Kriel said, “I have chosen a life of health. Sometimes one have to realise that there are greater things out there than what we think we need for ourselves. The passion to help others is what drives me to persevere. It does get tiring and exhausting at times. I do take a day every off occasionally. Having friends and family who are supportive makes a big difference in one’s success.
“My fitness training and surfing is my ‘Natasha’ time. Concerning my job, as the saying goes, ‘choose a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’. That is how I feel about what I do,” said Kriel.
