Surf lifesaving safety expert calls for event probe

A former national surf lifesaving official has called for a Royal Commission into surf safety and beach management after the death of a teenage competitor at the Australian surf championships last week.

Sunshine Coast competitor Matthew Barclay, 14, drowned while competing in the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships last week, becoming the third casualty in 16 years at the same event. His drowning has led to questions over safety standards in surf life saving.

Jim Bradley, a National Surf Safety Officer with Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) for 12 years, said the incident highlighted the fact volunteers were making decisions about public safety they were not equipped to handle.

Bradley said SLSA should no longer be regarded as the "iconic" authority on surf safety, when professional lifeguards spend 87% more time on the beach.

Bradley highlighted that the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association (APOLA) was being constantly stonewalled in the decision-making process, citing the situation of APOLA not permitted membership of the Australian Water Safety Council.

APOLA Secretary John Edwards, who has separately called for a judicial inquiry into the SLSA administration, said a demonstration of SLSA's influence was a major campaign advising swimmers to swim parallel to the beach when caught in a rip, despite advice from APOLA that this was dangerous.

Edwards told the Illawarra Mercury newspaper that "their advice has since proved incorrect but they haven't acknowledged they made a mistake.

"The fact is, the experience of volunteers who come to the beach once a month for four hours cannot be compared with lifeguards on a beach five to seven days a week.

"They are not the principal force in beach safety as they would have people believe."

Bradley said he had butted heads with the SLSA hierarchy previously in encouraging adoption of leg ropes on water craft and in introducing specialised surf helmets.

He also highlighted his advocacy for the use of patrol towers which had also been constantly rejected despite widespread use overseas.

Bradley was quoted in the Illawarra Mercury as saying "this kid ... would have been found immediately if his board had been attached to a leg rope.

"The thing that gets me is the complete arrogance of the (SLSA) hierarchy who cannot be given input, who will not allow other players in the field.

"The days of surf lifesaving being the sole expert in the field of surf safety have long gone."

Kurrawa Beach surt boat image used for illustrative purposes only.

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