Swim safety.
Spending time in, on or around the water is an enjoyable part of living in Australia. However drowning is a serious problem in Australia with 315 people drowning in Australian waterways between 1st July 2010 and 30th June 2011.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of preventable death in children under 5 years of age and approximately 50 children between 0 and 15 years of age drown every year.
Tragically, these statistics are only part of a much larger picture. The National Injury Surveillance Unit (NISU) states that for every drowning death there are three hospitalisations due to near drowning. For every five children admitted to hospital following immersion, one child will be left with severe or persisting neurological impairment.
Sadly, there is no single reason why so many Australians drown, and as such, there is no simple solution. Royal Life Saving Society – Australia’s approach toward drowning prevention reflects the complexity of issues that contribute to preventing drowning deaths. These preventative measures include active adult supervision, restricting children’s access to water, water safety education and lifesaving skills such as resuscitation.
Royal Life Saving is Australia’s leading water safety educator: a non-for-profit, volunteer, community-based organisation with a Branch in every State and Territory of Australia. For the past 117 years, Royal Life Saving has worked to harness the strengths of local communities to reduce drowning and turn everyday people into everyday community lifesavers.
Since 2009, UNCLE TOBYS® has been proudly supporting Royal Life Saving to help provide thousands of Australian children with the opportunity to learn to Swim and Survive and raise the importance of water safety education with parents and carers.
Swim and Survive is a national swimming and water safety initiative of Royal Life Saving that seeks to increase the swimming, water safety and lifesaving skills of all Australian children. The Wonder, Courage and Active programs are structured into skill strands that ensure a balanced, comprehensive instructional approach to children’s aquatic education.
UNCLE TOBYS® and Royal Life Saving are helping to prevent child drowning in your local community by providing swimming lessons to financially disadvantaged children through the Swim and Survive Fund. To find out more about the Swim and Survive Fund, visit www.swimandsurvive.com.au.
You too can help Royal Life Saving prevent loss of life and injury in the community and reduce the number of drowning deaths by 50% by 2020.
Be proactive and Keep Watch!
- Supervise your child:
Always supervise your child within arms’ reach.
- Restrict access to water:
Provide barriers to water locations.
- Be water aware:
Introduce your child to water.
- Learn resuscitation:
Resuscitation is a skill for life.
For more tips on how to keep your kids safe in the water this summer you can visit www.swimkids.com.au.
