Drink-drown alert for mariners
FISHERMEN have been warned never to mix drinking and boating after a new report by Royal Life Saving revealed 70 per cent of drownings in Tasmania last year involved males.
The National Drowning Report 2018 showed there were 10 drownings in the state between July 1 last year and June 30 this year, a 9 per cent drop on the previous year.
Boating-related incidents accounted for 50 per cent of all drownings in Tasmania during the 12-month period, and 40 per cent of those who died were aged 55 years and older.
Royal Life Saving Society Tasmania president Pene Snashall said the message was clear: don’t let your mates drink and drown.
“The statistics show alcohol is present in nearly the majority of drowning deaths,” she said.
“Our younger people are starting to heed some of the messages about alcohol around waterways, but I’m not sure they’ve got through to our middle-aged men, who continue taking risks while out fishing,” she said.
“I urge everyone, particularly middle-aged men, not to underestimate the conditions of the water and don’t over-estimate your health and fitness level.”
Ms Snashall said people cannot be complacent about water safety and encouraged all Tasmanians to learn firstaid or a lifesaving skill, such as CPR.
The report also revealed ocean and harbour locations were the leading spots for drownings, with 40 cent of all Tasmanian drownings occurring in autumn.
Marine and Rescue Services Senior Constable Callum Herbert said the time frame for survival in cold water was far less than in warm water.
“Tasmania’s water temperature is considerably lower than on the mainland,” he said.
“Cold water immersion can lead to unconsciousness within an hour.
“Alcohol affects your decision-making and also has an effect on the body, which can make you more susceptible to exposure and hypothermia. Never mix alcohol and boating.”
Senior Constable Herbert said police patrolled the water year-round checking boat li- cences and seaworthiness.
“It’s vital that boats are in good condition and safety equipment is on board, such as life jackets and flares, and are placed where they can be easily located if needed in an emergency,” he said.
Life jackets must be worn on any motor boat less than 6m long.
Marine and Safety Tasmania recreational boating general manager Peter Hopkins said life jackets needed to be serviced to save lives.
“There’s no second chances in the water,” he said.
“It is a real problem and we encourage people to check inflatable life jackets themselves every few months and have them serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Over the past five or six years there’s been several drownings where life jackets have not worked or, when tested, probably wouldn’t have saved a life.”
There were 249 drownings nationally in 2017-18, down 14 per cent from the previous year. There were also more than 550 hospitalisations resulting from non-fatal water incidents across Australia.