Randwick City and Waverley councils launch Float to Survive initiative to reduce national drownings 

Sydney’s Randwick City and Waverley councils have joined forces to pilot Float to Survive, a new water safety campaign aimed at reducing the record number of drownings in Australia.

Promoting floating as offering the best chance of survival for swimmers who get into trouble in the water, Float to Survive launched yesterday to coincide with the start of summer.

Developed in partnership with the University of NSW (UNSW) Beach Safety Research Group and backed by the Australian Pool and Ocean Lifeguard Association (APOLA), the ‘Float to Survive’ message will be tested across the two local government areas which are home to some of Australia’s busiest and most dangerous beaches based on drowning risk.

This year Australia recorded its highest drowning rates in the last 10 years with 339 deaths and many of these drownings occurred at unpatrolled beaches, or out of hours, and in rivers and lakes.

Speaking at the launch, Randwick City Mayor, Dylan Parker commented “our Float to Survive message is that if you can master the skill of floating, even if you are not a good swimmer, you are more likely to survive and be rescued.”

Waverley Mayor, Paula Masselos added “the one key message of this pilot campaign is ‘Float to Survive’ and we want to test the memorability of this message in our research”.

The Float to Survive message will be promoted over the coming summer period up to April 2023 alongside and complementing Surf Life Saving NSW’s traditional beach safety message ‘always swim between the flags’ and the summer 2023 rock fishing safety campaign.

Five steps to float:

• Keep calm and control your breathing

• Lean back

• Extend your arms and legs

• Gently rotate your arms and legs in a circular motion

• Signal for help with your hand if you can

Professor Rob Brander (aka ‘Dr Rip’), from UNSW’s Beach Safety Research Group will help evaluate the efficacy of the pilot campaign. In August this year, Randwick City and Waverley councils were approached by Surf Educators International seeking interest in a pilot study which has been adapted from the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institute.

Professor Brander noted “the Float to Survive message has the potential to help those who find themselves on trouble in the water at unpatrolled locations or outside of patrol hours and locations. We want to see what the public thinks about the message”.

Randwick Council Beach Lifeguard Supervisor Paul Moffat said sometimes people who get into trouble in the water can swim, but they panic and try to swim against the current which tires them out, noting “if you can relax and float, you’ll conserve energy and have a better chance of drifting out of a rip or being rescued.”

Bruce 'Hoppo' Hopkins, Waverley Council Lifeguard Service Coordinator,and APOLA President said learning how to float is easier than learning how to swim and “could be the difference between life and death”.

‘Float to Survive’ will be promoted in the media as well as in advertising and signage where people gather including beaches, bus stops, shopping centres and cinemas.

Yesterday also marked National Water Safety Day, an initiative encouraging Australians to make water safety awareness a priority.