More people are drowning on Australia’s beaches. University of Melbourne researchers partnered with Surf Life Saving Australia to co-design and test a drowning prevention program that effectively promotes safer beach behaviours that spill over to unpatrolled beaches.
The need
“Drowning prevention should be something that everyone takes seriously. Every time there’s a drowning, Australia’s reputation as the place to go and hang out at the beach is harmed,” says University of Melbourne Associate Professor Brian Cook.
More people are drowning on our beaches each year.
“Our research is showing that people are not drowning between the flags. We’ve been very successful at patrolled beaches – not just because we’re watching, but also because we move the flags according to the changeable ocean conditions,” says veteran surf lifesaver, author and drowning prevention advocate Louise Lambeth.
But only around 6 per cent of beaches around the country are patrolled – and only at certain times of the day and year.
“The vast majority of drowning deaths in Australia happen at unpatrolled locations,” says Associate Professor Cook.
Lambeth’s local beach is a drowning hotspot.
“We have a beach nearby where a five-year-old boy was dragged off the beach and drowned. Our Surf Life Saving club members were part of that search and rescue, which became a search and recovery,” says Lambeth.
“I started to think, ‘How can we do things a bit differently? How do we reach people that don’t access traditional pathways like Nippers or Learn to Swim?’ We need to be more creative about how we educate people and engage with them in water safety.”