Summer is here, children are nearly finished school, and Christmas is coming!
However we can’t afford to become complacent about water safety during the silly season, as Royal Life Saving Australia research shows that Australians are twice more likely to drown on a public holiday than any other day of the year.
210 Australians drowned on public holidays over the past 15 years, and holiday makers are at highest risk, being 2.5 times more likely to drown due to lack of knowledge and familiarity with the local water ways.
Alcohol is a significant contributor to public holiday drowning deaths, and it’s men that are commonly susceptible to a higher risk, with the report showing men are four times more likely to drown than women. Let’s do all we can this summer to take care of one another and minimise the risks.
These are my top 10 water safety tips for a happy holiday period:
1. Swimming lessons! Teach children to swim and continue to attend lessons regularly. It may be tempting to drop lessons as life gets busy but until children reach their age related milestones swimming lessons should remain non-negotiable.
2. Avoid alcohol around water.
3. Check for snags and currents before entering inland waterways and rivers.
4. Know your limits and never swim alone, or when intoxicated.
5. Swim at patrolled beaches between the flags and learn how to spot rip currents.
6. Children under five should be kept at arm’s reach at all times at the beach, at the pool, and in every other aquatic environment. Accidents happen very quicky.
7. Fence the pool, check and close all gates and make sure all gates are self-latching.
8. Be aware of other household items which represent a drowning risk, i.e. Eskys, inflatable pools, bathtubs, buckets, fishponds, even pet bowls. Children have drowned in less water than a drink bottle can hold.
9. Make supervision of children the priority around all water – delegate a supervisor at all events with the adults talking turns on rotation. Never assume someone else is watching.
10. Learn how to perform CPR and use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator).
Drownings remain a risk at home, where we are often most relaxed and assume nothing bad will happen, but we must remain vigilant. Make this weekend the time to check your pool fences and gates and refer to the Royal Life Saving home pool safety checklist to minimise the risks.
You can find the checklist at: http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/programs/home-pool-safety/home-pool-safety-checklist.
Wishing you a safe summer with your families!
