It was great to attend the NSW Government’s Water Safety Forum with the Founder of the Swim Sisters Squad, Yusra Metwally. Both the Minister for Multiculturalism, Ray Williams and the Minister for Emergency Services, Troy Grant, along with the CEO of Royal Life Saving and the CEO of Surf Lifesaving NSW, made up the panel of speakers. There were many groups represented in the room, all actively participating in the conversation. It was a very informative session where I gained insight not only into the recent research, but also into the issues around water safety faced by rock fishermen, the Tibetan and Nepalese communities and many others.
Here are some topline statistics from the Royal Life Saving’s report – 10 Year National Study of Overseas Born Drowning Deaths 2005/6 – 2014/2015;
- 27% of drowning deaths over the 10yrs were from people born overseas (overall 762)
- 22% of overseas born drownings occurred in the 25-34yr age group, followed by 14% in the 55-64 yr age group.
- 29% of drowning deaths occurred with people who had been living in Australia for 10+ years.
To find out more, take a look at the detailed report by Royal Life Saving clicking here. It makes for very sobering reading. There’s a big job ahead for all of us.