Latest news with #RoyalLifeSavingAustralia
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Drowning rates fall but migrant risks remain high
Drowning rates have declined significantly over the past two decades though challenges persist among migrant and regional communities, a landmark study reveals. Analysis of unintentional drowning deaths between 2002 and 2022 shows a 60 per cent decrease in drowning deaths among children under the age of four, and a 24 per cent decline over the past 20 years overall. Every age group had lower deaths except between 15 and 17, according to data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The findings reflect "great progress" in public health education and water safety, study co-author and Royal Life Saving Australia national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon told AAP. But the work is far from over, she cautioned. Data from after the study's period shows a slight increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, with more people moving away from patrolled beaches to unsupervised inland locations. "We're starting to see more people get into difficulty that may not have the skills and ability to keep themselves safe," Ms Pidgeon said. Meanwhile, rivers and creeks were identified as leading locations for drowning, representing 26.3 per cent of fatal cases in the study. Concern is also growing about water safety in regional and multicultural communities, where awareness and experience around water is limited. In January 2024, Victoria witnessed its worst beach tragedy in nearly two decades when four international visitors drowned after being caught in a rip current. They were visiting Phillip Island for a family day trip and were part of a group of nine with relatives from India. "Multicultural communities are one key area of the water safety strategy. There's been a very concerted effort in terms of strategies across the country," Ms Pidgeon said. "We know that adults from some countries may have never had the opportunity to learn swimming and water safety skills." The data also highlighted that males were nearly four times as likely as females to drown, with alcohol consumption remaining a major factor, presenting in 23.9 per cent of drowning deaths. "Alcohol and swimming don't go well together in all bodies of water," Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin told AAP. "More effort is necessary to focus on blokes on alcohol, and those teenage high-risk groups." The study comes as researchers and advocates work to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy goal of halving drowning deaths by 2030. Drowning rates have declined significantly over the past two decades though challenges persist among migrant and regional communities, a landmark study reveals. Analysis of unintentional drowning deaths between 2002 and 2022 shows a 60 per cent decrease in drowning deaths among children under the age of four, and a 24 per cent decline over the past 20 years overall. Every age group had lower deaths except between 15 and 17, according to data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The findings reflect "great progress" in public health education and water safety, study co-author and Royal Life Saving Australia national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon told AAP. But the work is far from over, she cautioned. Data from after the study's period shows a slight increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, with more people moving away from patrolled beaches to unsupervised inland locations. "We're starting to see more people get into difficulty that may not have the skills and ability to keep themselves safe," Ms Pidgeon said. Meanwhile, rivers and creeks were identified as leading locations for drowning, representing 26.3 per cent of fatal cases in the study. Concern is also growing about water safety in regional and multicultural communities, where awareness and experience around water is limited. In January 2024, Victoria witnessed its worst beach tragedy in nearly two decades when four international visitors drowned after being caught in a rip current. They were visiting Phillip Island for a family day trip and were part of a group of nine with relatives from India. "Multicultural communities are one key area of the water safety strategy. There's been a very concerted effort in terms of strategies across the country," Ms Pidgeon said. "We know that adults from some countries may have never had the opportunity to learn swimming and water safety skills." The data also highlighted that males were nearly four times as likely as females to drown, with alcohol consumption remaining a major factor, presenting in 23.9 per cent of drowning deaths. "Alcohol and swimming don't go well together in all bodies of water," Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin told AAP. "More effort is necessary to focus on blokes on alcohol, and those teenage high-risk groups." The study comes as researchers and advocates work to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy goal of halving drowning deaths by 2030. Drowning rates have declined significantly over the past two decades though challenges persist among migrant and regional communities, a landmark study reveals. Analysis of unintentional drowning deaths between 2002 and 2022 shows a 60 per cent decrease in drowning deaths among children under the age of four, and a 24 per cent decline over the past 20 years overall. Every age group had lower deaths except between 15 and 17, according to data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The findings reflect "great progress" in public health education and water safety, study co-author and Royal Life Saving Australia national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon told AAP. But the work is far from over, she cautioned. Data from after the study's period shows a slight increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, with more people moving away from patrolled beaches to unsupervised inland locations. "We're starting to see more people get into difficulty that may not have the skills and ability to keep themselves safe," Ms Pidgeon said. Meanwhile, rivers and creeks were identified as leading locations for drowning, representing 26.3 per cent of fatal cases in the study. Concern is also growing about water safety in regional and multicultural communities, where awareness and experience around water is limited. In January 2024, Victoria witnessed its worst beach tragedy in nearly two decades when four international visitors drowned after being caught in a rip current. They were visiting Phillip Island for a family day trip and were part of a group of nine with relatives from India. "Multicultural communities are one key area of the water safety strategy. There's been a very concerted effort in terms of strategies across the country," Ms Pidgeon said. "We know that adults from some countries may have never had the opportunity to learn swimming and water safety skills." The data also highlighted that males were nearly four times as likely as females to drown, with alcohol consumption remaining a major factor, presenting in 23.9 per cent of drowning deaths. "Alcohol and swimming don't go well together in all bodies of water," Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin told AAP. "More effort is necessary to focus on blokes on alcohol, and those teenage high-risk groups." The study comes as researchers and advocates work to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy goal of halving drowning deaths by 2030. Drowning rates have declined significantly over the past two decades though challenges persist among migrant and regional communities, a landmark study reveals. Analysis of unintentional drowning deaths between 2002 and 2022 shows a 60 per cent decrease in drowning deaths among children under the age of four, and a 24 per cent decline over the past 20 years overall. Every age group had lower deaths except between 15 and 17, according to data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The findings reflect "great progress" in public health education and water safety, study co-author and Royal Life Saving Australia national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon told AAP. But the work is far from over, she cautioned. Data from after the study's period shows a slight increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, with more people moving away from patrolled beaches to unsupervised inland locations. "We're starting to see more people get into difficulty that may not have the skills and ability to keep themselves safe," Ms Pidgeon said. Meanwhile, rivers and creeks were identified as leading locations for drowning, representing 26.3 per cent of fatal cases in the study. Concern is also growing about water safety in regional and multicultural communities, where awareness and experience around water is limited. In January 2024, Victoria witnessed its worst beach tragedy in nearly two decades when four international visitors drowned after being caught in a rip current. They were visiting Phillip Island for a family day trip and were part of a group of nine with relatives from India. "Multicultural communities are one key area of the water safety strategy. There's been a very concerted effort in terms of strategies across the country," Ms Pidgeon said. "We know that adults from some countries may have never had the opportunity to learn swimming and water safety skills." The data also highlighted that males were nearly four times as likely as females to drown, with alcohol consumption remaining a major factor, presenting in 23.9 per cent of drowning deaths. "Alcohol and swimming don't go well together in all bodies of water," Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin told AAP. "More effort is necessary to focus on blokes on alcohol, and those teenage high-risk groups." The study comes as researchers and advocates work to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy goal of halving drowning deaths by 2030.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Drowning rates fall but migrant risks remain high
Drowning rates have declined significantly over the past two decades though challenges persist among migrant and regional communities, a landmark study reveals. Analysis of unintentional drowning deaths between 2002 and 2022 shows a 60 per cent decrease in drowning deaths among children under the age of four, and a 24 per cent decline over the past 20 years overall. Every age group had lower deaths except between 15 and 17, according to data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The findings reflect "great progress" in public health education and water safety, study co-author and Royal Life Saving Australia national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon told AAP. But the work is far from over, she cautioned. Data from after the study's period shows a slight increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, with more people moving away from patrolled beaches to unsupervised inland locations. "We're starting to see more people get into difficulty that may not have the skills and ability to keep themselves safe," Ms Pidgeon said. Meanwhile, rivers and creeks were identified as leading locations for drowning, representing 26.3 per cent of fatal cases in the study. Concern is also growing about water safety in regional and multicultural communities, where awareness and experience around water is limited. In January 2024, Victoria witnessed its worst beach tragedy in nearly two decades when four international visitors drowned after being caught in a rip current. They were visiting Phillip Island for a family day trip and were part of a group of nine with relatives from India. "Multicultural communities are one key area of the water safety strategy. There's been a very concerted effort in terms of strategies across the country," Ms Pidgeon said. "We know that adults from some countries may have never had the opportunity to learn swimming and water safety skills." The data also highlighted that males were nearly four times as likely as females to drown, with alcohol consumption remaining a major factor, presenting in 23.9 per cent of drowning deaths. "Alcohol and swimming don't go well together in all bodies of water," Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin told AAP. "More effort is necessary to focus on blokes on alcohol, and those teenage high-risk groups." The study comes as researchers and advocates work to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy goal of halving drowning deaths by 2030.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
Drowning rates fall but migrant risks remain high
Drowning rates have declined significantly over the past two decades though challenges persist among migrant and regional communities, a landmark study reveals. Analysis of unintentional drowning deaths between 2002 and 2022 shows a 60 per cent decrease in drowning deaths among children under the age of four, and a 24 per cent decline over the past 20 years overall. Every age group had lower deaths except between 15 and 17, according to data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Tuesday. The findings reflect "great progress" in public health education and water safety, study co-author and Royal Life Saving Australia national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon told AAP. But the work is far from over, she cautioned. Data from after the study's period shows a slight increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, with more people moving away from patrolled beaches to unsupervised inland locations. "We're starting to see more people get into difficulty that may not have the skills and ability to keep themselves safe," Ms Pidgeon said. Meanwhile, rivers and creeks were identified as leading locations for drowning, representing 26.3 per cent of fatal cases in the study. Concern is also growing about water safety in regional and multicultural communities, where awareness and experience around water is limited. In January 2024, Victoria witnessed its worst beach tragedy in nearly two decades when four international visitors drowned after being caught in a rip current. They were visiting Phillip Island for a family day trip and were part of a group of nine with relatives from India. "Multicultural communities are one key area of the water safety strategy. There's been a very concerted effort in terms of strategies across the country," Ms Pidgeon said. "We know that adults from some countries may have never had the opportunity to learn swimming and water safety skills." The data also highlighted that males were nearly four times as likely as females to drown, with alcohol consumption remaining a major factor, presenting in 23.9 per cent of drowning deaths. "Alcohol and swimming don't go well together in all bodies of water," Public Health Association of Australia chief executive Terry Slevin told AAP. "More effort is necessary to focus on blokes on alcohol, and those teenage high-risk groups." The study comes as researchers and advocates work to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy goal of halving drowning deaths by 2030.
Perth Now
02-07-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
‘The reality is that accidents happen quickly and quietly.'
Artificial intelligence monitoring a public pool has triggered a potentially lifesaving alert as a swimmer began to sink, unconscious, to the bottom of the water. The incident was caught on camera at Stirling Leisure in the northern Perth suburb of Inglewood, with the AI detecting the medical emergency immediately. Lifeguards were sent an urgent alert at the same time fellow swimmer Ofer Lefelman noticed something was wrong. 'When I realised he's in distress, I dove down, picked him up, put him on my shoulder, made sure his head was above the water,' he told 7NEWS. Lifeguards then helped get the struggling swimmer to the water's edge, where further help was waiting. 'They were very quick, very fast, they grabbed all the gear we needed,' lifeguard Cameron told 7NEWS. He believed it would have been 'a lot more stressful if I didn't have that initial alert'. 'That precious amount of seconds with the watch possibly saved him,' he said. The Lynxight system is a critical set of eyes operated by the City of Stirling to keep watch over the pool and swimmers. It is able to pinpoint a person in distress and send an alert via a smart watch with an exact GPS co-ordination. Lynxight can connect to standard security cameras, detect unusual water movement and track multiple swimmers at once. The Lynxight pool monitoring system triggered a potentially lifesaving alert at a pool in Perth. Credit: 7NEWS More than 300 people drown in Australia every year, and there were six drowning deaths and 8000 rescues at public pools in 2023 alone, Royal Life Saving Australia research shows. The AI technology is also used at Gould Adams Park Aquatic Centre in Queensland but it is hoped it will be rolled out at more pools across the country and help to save more lives. Royal Life Saving Society WA chief executive Peter Leaversuch said lifeguards have a challenging job watching lots of people in the water. 'The reality is that accidents happen quickly and quietly,' he said. 'To have a bit of technology that's watching is really powerful for not only the public but also the lifeguards.'
7NEWS
30-06-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
AI pool monitoring system helps save life of swimmer suffering medical episode in the water
Artificial intelligence monitoring a public pool has triggered a potentially life-saving alert as a swimmer began to sink, unconscious, to the bottom of the water. The incident was caught on camera at Stirling Leisure in the northern Perth suburb of Inglewood, with the AI detecting the medical episode emergency immediately. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Incredible AI helps save swimmer in trouble at Perth pool. Lifeguards were sent an urgent alert at the same time fellow swimmer Ofer Lefelman noticed something was wrong. 'When I realised he's in distress, I dove down, picked him up, put him on my shoulder, made sure his head was above the water,' he told 7NEWS. Lifeguards then helped get the struggling swimmer to the water's edge, where further help was waiting. 'They were very quick, very fast, they grabbed all the gear we needed,' lifeguard Cameron told 7NEWS. He believed it would have been 'a lot more stressful if I didn't have that initial alert'. 'That precious amount of seconds with the watch possibly saved him,' he said. The Lynxight system is a critical set of eyes operated by the City of Stirling to keep watch over the pool and swimmers. It is able to pinpoint a person in distress and send an alert via a smart watch with an exact GPS co-ordination. Lynxight can connect to standard security cameras, detect unusual water movement and track multiple swimmers at once. More than 300 people drown in Australia every year, and there were six drowning deaths and 8000 rescues at public pools in 2023 alone, Royal Life Saving Australia research shows. The AI technology is also used at Gould Adams Park Aquatic Centre in Queensland but it is hoped it will be rolled out at more pools across the country and help to save more lives. Royal Life Saving Society WA chief executive Peter Leaversuch said lifeguards have a challenging job watching lots of people in the water. 'The reality is that accidents happen quickly and quietly,' he said. 'To have a bit of technology that's watching is really powerful for not only the public but also the lifeguards.' Stream free on
