As head of the Bermuda Water Safety Council, he is empowered with the duty of educating the public on the importance and the rules of water safety.

According to Mr. Selley, meeting that objective brings perpetual struggle.

"Obviously with the arrival of May, we have our concerns with the boating public and with swimmers,'' he said. "And it's our hope that these two sections of the community will try and be more responsible and courteous to other members of the water-related community. "It's a constant, on-going battle trying to get the message out to the public that since the Base left, the onus is on the boat operator/owner to look out for their own individual safety as well as that of their passengers. Although we do have search and rescue provisions in place, if someone goes missing, we have to call in planes from North Carolina (before) an intensive operation can go into place. But to prevent all that, we're simply asking that they take those extra steps to prevent that from happening.'' Mr. Selley said that he took over as Council chairman four years ago, but has been involved in the committee for the past 15 years; an interest which stemmed from 20 years on the powerboat racing circuit -- both off-shore and in closed arenas. "It's a 12-person council and we have representatives from the Parks Department, Harbour Radio, Marine Police, Marine & Ports, as well as boating professionals and members of the private sector,'' he said. "Our main function, as I see it, is that we are a marine-related advisory agency. We use the input of our members and make sure we disseminate the right information to the public through advertisements which appear both on television and the radio from May through to August or September as well as pamphlets which we send through the mail to all registered boat owners.'' Helping them achieve that goal, added Mr. Selley, is a successful programme which involves all of Bermuda's primary school-aged children. "Every year, for the last 18 or 20 years, the Council has put out a colouring book for all four to six year-old children Islandwide. The importance of the colouring book, although targeted at children, is that it's a joint venture for parents and children. It's designed so that they will go through the book together. "The children colour the pictures and it's proven to be a real pillar of success in getting the message out to children about boating and water safety in general. Some of the children we taught when we first began the programme are now having their own children. Because they already knew and understood the message, they drove it home to them and so the exercise has proven to have been quite successful. "We've also found it to have a knock-on effect. When a kid learns a message in school, even if his parents are not concerned, he will make them adhere to it because it's something he has been taught. Recycling is one such example. Although perhaps some parents would not have done so, once the children learned about it at school, many went home and asked their parents, well why don't we recycle, and as a result, many families began to do so. But they would not have had it not been for their child.'' Their education is not limited to the ocean but focuses on safety in the swimming pool as well, with both public and private facilities targeted. Important in both arenas, he said, is the role played by parents. "Parents or guardians are responsible for looking after their own children and families,'' he stressed. "Even on the beach where we have lifeguards, they are not there to be babysitters. They are only there in case of an incident. Parents and guardians must still pay attention.'' According to Mr. Selley, this and all other water safety information is to soon be printed within a new handbook. "The latest revised water safety handbook came out in 1986, eleven years ago. It's targeted specifically at boat owners and will be mailed, as has all previous relative information, to all registered boat owners. So people have no excuse for saying that they haven't got it. They were also given out at this month's boat show at Dockyard. With a budget of only $15,000, Mr. Selley said corporate sponsorship by places such as the Shell Co. and the Bank of Bermuda, really helps. "If it wasn't for the bank, and, in the past, the Shell Co., we wouldn't be possible to do all that we do.

Unless corporate companies come on board, we're stifled in what we can achieve and in how much we can educate the community.'' PHOTO Water Safety Council chairman, Mark Selley