Community
20 September, 2024
Coastal drownings a continued concern
DROWNING across the state’s beaches remain a major concern in the lead up to summer.
Surf Life Saving Australia this week released its ‘National Coastal Safety Report’ which showed volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards performed a record number of rescues in the past year.
The report showed both the immense efforts of lifesavers, and the enormity of the challenge the community faces when it comes to drowning deaths.
Victorian lifesavers and lifeguards performed 849 rescues during the 2023-24 financial year, the highest number in over a decade.
They also performed 1,321 first-aid treatments and 455,937 preventative actions, at an estimated value of more than $1.5 billion to the Victorian community.
Despite their best efforts, 26 coastal drowning deaths were recorded in Victoria, which is a 37 per cent increase on last year (19) and a 38 per cent increase on the 10-year average (19).
Of the 26 drownings that occurred in coastal settings, two thirds (69 per cent) were in areas where lifesaving services were more than a kilometre away.
LSV head of research, evaluation and insights Dr Bernadette Matthews said this pointed to the particular danger of swimming at beaches not patrolled by volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards.
“Swimming at any beach or waterway will always carry an element of risk, and that risk increases significantly if that area is not patrolled,” Dr Matthews said.
“As summer approaches, I encourage everyone to always swim between the red and yellow flags, where volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards can help if you get into trouble.
“One drowning is one too many, and we all must play our part to keep ourselves, our families and friends safe in the water.”
The report also showed Victoria’s lifesaving community put in a total of 216,098 patrol hours over the past season.
Primarily performed by volunteer lifesavers who give their time freely, these patrols play a vital role in keeping the community safe in the water, and preventing countless tragedies on our beaches every year.
