New Year’s Water Safety Resolutions
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Maybe this year, rather than the usual “eat and drink less, go to the gym more, pay off post Xmas debt” promises, we could all commit to some Water Safety resolutions? 5 people drowned in less than 24 hours on New Year’s Day last year across Australia – please, let’s do better this year.
Supervise – Keep Watch! 965 children aged 0-4 years drowned in Australia between 1 July 1993 and 30 June 2018. A lapse in adult supervision was the major risk factor in 100% of toddler drowning deaths. Of the 19 children under 4 who drowned in Australia last year, 12 did so in swimming pools. Don’t be distracted when with children around water – nothing is more important than their safety. Put the phone down, and enjoy this precious time in the sun. Watch children in the bath, and empty eskys and portable pools – children can drown in only a tiny amount of water.
Learn To Swim. Every water safety education programme has a common message – learn to swim – from babies to children to adults. Make 2020 your year to learn, and/or to get your kids into lessons.
Fence the pool & shut the gate. Accidental falls into water remain the leading activity prior to drowning among children under five. Barriers provide an extra layer of protection, but are never a substitute for constant adult supervision.
Watch your mate – don’t let your mates drink and drown. The message is simple: wear a lifejacket when on the river, avoid consumption of alcohol and drugs around water and never swim alone.
Respect the river. We are very lucky to live so near to the beautiful Nepean River, however the flat, still surface of an inland waterway can give a false sense of security, and currents, undertows or submerged objects can prove to be very dangerous.
Learn CPR and educate children about water safety. Would you know what to do in an emergency? If the answer is no, make it your resolution to learn CPR in 2020. Have we visited your child’s school or preschool to talk about water safety? If the answer is no, just contact me to book a free visit in.
Wishing everyone a very safe and happy festive season, and a wonderful 2020 – see you next year!