Imagine this: you're swimming at a non-patrolled beach with a friend when they disappear beneath the waves and don't come up.

You then see them floating face down in the water. Frantically you rush to your friend's aide and drag them to shore, but they're not breathing and you can't find their pulse – what do you do?

The Welcome Bay Baptist Church is sponsoring two CPR training sessions next week. Photo: File

It's a scary situation to find yourself in, especially if you don't know how to administer CPR. This is why the Welcome Bay Baptist Church wants to give people the skills to potentially save lives.

The church is sponsoring two, 90 minute training sessions down at the Welcome Bay Community Centre on Monday, January 25, at 1pm and 7.30pm.

Team leader Jeremy Denmead says the church is sponsoring the accredited course and the minimum cost to take part will be a gold coin donation.

'My wife Donna and I were simply aghast by the number of people who had drowned while over the Christmas period,” he says.

'Donna felt that we should do something about it for our community and get people trained in CPR, so that's where the idea originated.”

Across New Zealand during the official Christmas holiday period, 10 people drowned with six of those drownings occurring in non-patrolled areas.

Jeremy says the accredited CPR course will be delivered by a private provider and would usually cost people $15.

He is encouraging people to get in quick a book their spot in the courses as numbers will be limited.

CPR training courses take place at the Welcome Bay Community Centre on Monday, January 25 at 1pm and 7.30pm. Cost is a gold coin donation. To book your place call the centre on 07-544-9774.