Teenage drownings prompt review of safety measures
CANBERRA — Government of the South Australian state has announced a plan to improve safe swimming practices after two teenagers drowned at the same Adelaide beach within eight days.
Eliase Nimbona, 15 years old, has been remembered as a “good boy” after he was found unconscious laying facedown in the water at Glenelg beach, southwest of Adelaide, on Monday afternoon.
The death of Nimbona, who immigrated to Australia with his family from the east African nation of Burundi in 2007, came eight days after Indian student Nitisha Negi, 15, drowned at the same beach while in the city to play soccer at the Pacific School Games.
Two 11-year-old boys, also from Burundi, drowned at the same place at the beginning of 2016.
Responding to the tragedies on Wednesday, the South Australian government said it would review water safety programs for migrants and overseas visitors as well as crack down on “jetty jumping.”
Jetty jumping is a popular activity at Australian beaches whereby participants, usually teenagers, jump off a pier into the water below.
At least one witness told police that they saw Nimbona jumping from the Glenelg pier on the afternoon that he drowned.
“We need to make sure that as many migrant communities as possible are involved in surf education ... to make sure that people do understand the risk and also receive training,” South Australia’s Emergency Services Minister Chris Picton told News Limited on Wednesday.
He said the government would consider removing the stairs from piers that jetty jumpers use to climb back up to their jumping spot.
Clare Harris, CEO of Surf Life Saving SA, said the government needed to pump A$500,000 ($382,000) into migrant water safety programs.