Dubbo embraces Blackout campaign
Favourite song?
The graduation song. We will sing it before I go to big school.
Favourite colour? Green.
Favourite game? Car games, with a remote on the TV. Liam has a red car and I have a blue car. No one wins.
Who is your best friend? Camden. What makes you laugh? I don’t know. What makes you sad? I don’t know. What are you afraid of? Giraffes scare me because
of their tongues.
If you could change your name, what would it be? Batman. What are you really good at? Sorting toys – I put
them into groups. Making stuff – houses of cardboard. My dad helps me. Little small houses, but I can still fit inside.
Do you have any jokes to tell me?
any jokes.
What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch?
Lasagne.
What is your favourite fruit? What do you want to be when you grow up?
don’t know.
How old is grown up?
flicks fingers) I don’t know Nanas. Just nanas. I (Holds up 10 fingers and SHALLOW Water Blackout (SWB) is an issue very close to local grandmother Barbara Norrie’s heart.
It caused the death of her nephew, Nick Fisher, when he was just 12 years old, and has been a heartache for the entire family ever since.
In 2015 Mrs Norrie asked for warning signs to be displayed at the Dubbo pool, and together with her grieving sister Judy and brotherin-law Tony, remain determined to pursue educating parents, grandparents and carers, especially of SWB risks to competitive teenage boys.
“The support of Dubbo has been fantastic. I only put (the signs) up because our family went through it and if our family can get caught, thousands of other families are at risk of getting caught in the same situation too,” she said.
Her gratitude was visible this week when she learned that Dubbo Regional Council has ordered more warning signs for display at the Dubbo Aquatic & Leisure Centre.
Dubbo Aquatic and Leisure Centre manager Nick Wilson also believes in the need to educate swimmers.
“We’re proactive about this issue through our life guards,” Mr Wilson told Dubbo
“If they notice kids are doing it, they’ll point it out and tell them the risk.
“Once upon a time, part of squad training would be to see how far you can go under water, but now none of that happens. That’s part of their accreditation,” he said.
Shallow Water Blackout affects the fittest and best of swimmers, as the repetitive long breath holding can lead to cardiac arrest. Without any struggle, it is not obvious the person has actually blacked out or is drowning in that state.
“People think this is about toddlers and kids under five, but it’s not. This effects the competitive teenager, usually boys. That is where the risk is,” Mrs Norrie said.
“Some people say, ‘Oh, you’re just spoiling the kid’s fun’ but no, we’re not. We’re just trying to prevent a tragedy for some other family,” she told