MEN NEED TO TAKE CARE WHEN NEAR THE WATER

THIS summer we are urging men to “make the right call”.

From 2009 to 2019, 2855 people lost their lives to drowning. An overwhelming 2262 of these people were males.

Eight- hundred- and- thirty- seven drownings happened in inland waterways and 287 involved alcohol.

We want to highlight to readers that everybody needs to be aware alcohol reduces co-ordination and can impair judgment and reaction time when they are in, on or around water. It also reduces inhibitions and distorts the perception of risk.

Wearing a lifejacket can increase a person’s chance of survival by 50 per cent.

Royal Life Saving maintains the national drowning database and our research suggests men holidaying in our inland waterways in the summer while consuming alcohol is a deadly cocktail. More needs to be done to educate men on the risks they face.

We are asking people to “make the right call”, to avoid alcohol around water, wear a lifejacket when boating or using water craft and avoid swimming alone.

Too many people think, “it will not happen to me”.

We ask people to look after themselves and their mates. In the past decade, inland waterways have accounted for almost 40 per cent of all drowning deaths. More than 80 per cent of those drownings were males. That’s why it is vital to “make the right call” this summer.

You can get more tips from royal lifesaving.com.au/maketherightcall

Justin Scarr, CEO

Royal Life Saving Society Australia