TRANSCRIPT
An Australian El Nino summer is characterised by hot, dry days, with many flocking to beaches and pools to escape the heat.
But with that comes a greater risk of drowning deaths.
Since the start of summer this year, there have already been 21 drowning deaths recorded across the country - that's three more than recorded on the same date last year.
Six of those have occurred in New South Wales alone, with Surf Life Saving New South Wales CEO Steven Pearce explaining this heightened risk of drowning over the festive period.
"Always statistically over the Christmas festive period you're twice as likely to drown on a New South Wales coastline than any other time. That's predominantly because you get many people coming down recreating on the beaches now and visiting locations where they're just not used to those local conditions. They don't understand those rip locations or where it's safe to swim at the beach. And you know we always have this heightened peak of operation particularly around Christmas. And even unfortunately particular here in New South Wales it's been a really tragic start, and even you know since 1 December we're up to 6 coastal d
rownings in New South Wales alone."
The messages have been around for decades now - swim between the flags, identify and avoid rips and always signal for help.
But Mr Pearce says it's clear further awareness and education is needed.
In particular, people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, are disproportionately represented in these drowning statistics.
"You know, we invest a significant amount of resources and time in educating and engaging communities that we deem are at more risk for potential drownings along the coastline than other communities. They are the culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Unfortunately, they always have a higher representation in our drowning statistics. It's also because the communities don't necessarily reside along the coastline, more inner city or western Sydney here in New South Wales. So it's about that awareness of particularly beach coastal water safety, which is so much different to other sort of water areas as well."
Olympic gold medallist and AustSwim ambassador Brooke Hanson echoed these concerns.
She says their program has 33 thousand teachers working tirelessly to provide life-saving swimming lessons over the summer period, with classes catering to people from all cultural and religious backgrounds.
"Whether it's programs that are just for men, programs that are just for women. We have closed programs for so many different cultures, and I think that's so important as well. Understanding everyone's different religions, different cultures, and sometimes they don't want to be in a public pool. So you can jump on our website there are so many different programs involved for everyone. And it's important for everyone no matter if you're a 6 month old baby, all the way up to some of our oldest members who learn to swim are in their 80s. And I think that's so amazing for the work that AustSwim does, that they are inclusive and we are giving every single person an opportunity."
Surf Lifesaving New South Wales have also rolled out many programs across the state over the past few years, particularly catering to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Mr Pearce says this has involved reaching out to schools, migrant resource centres and other areas in communities, rather than waiting for people to come to the beach to engage in water safety programs.
Their rock fishing program targeted culturally and linguistically diverse communities in western Sydney, as Mr Pearce says those from non-English speaking backgrounds unfortunately have a high representation in rock fishing drowning statistics.
"And that program educated members of the community about how to come down to rock platforms to fish, what are the dangers to look for in rock platforms. If you do get into trouble what to do. And importantly, we gave out over 1000 life-jackets to members who participated in these programs, because we do know for rock fishers if they do wear life jackets it increases their chances of survival by almost 90% if they do get washed off the rock platforms."
Ms Hanson said swimming lessons are certainly key to alleviating anxiety in the water and ultimately saving lives.
"The number one thing is to just maintain that constant supervision of your young children when you're in the water. So the mobile phone continues to be a big distraction, you want to watch your children, don't watch you phone. And then when you're out at the beach, when you're in the creek, or the dam or the lake or the rivers, never swim alone, always go with someone. And always look at a patrolled beach, you can find out where the patrolled beaches are online, and swim in between the red and yellow flags. ANd lastly for the adults don't go near alcohol, don't mix alcohol and water. They are some really simple summer tips for staying safe in and around water this summer."]]
The Olympian shared a final safety message for the summer season.
"For me, as an Olympian of course I achieved all my hopes and dreams in the pool. But now I'm a Mum of three children, I'm a patrolling member of my surf club - Currumbin beach on the Gold Coast. And for me as a community member, as a Mum, as an Olympian, and of course as an Aust Swim ambassador, I just find it so important that all of us, every single one of us, need to be safer in on and around water. And we have a responsibility for ourselves, and our families, to make sure we're leading the way."
