tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/drownings-16404/articlesDrownings – The Conversation2023-12-21T00:28:00Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200432023-12-21T00:28:00Z2023-12-21T00:28:00ZAustralian beachgoers are told to always ‘swim between the flags’ – but what if there aren’t any?<p>This summer, millions of people will flock to Australia’s beaches – and tragically, not all will survive. Last summer, 54 people <a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/slsa_summerdrowningreport_2022.23">drowned</a> along the Australian coast. This included 28 people in New South Wales – the highest number in the state’s recorded history.</p>
<p>About 80% of the drownings occurred at beaches and almost half were due to people caught in offshore flowing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825216303117">rip currents</a>. </p>
<p>Crucially, all of these drownings occurred in locations not patrolled by professional lifeguards or volunteer surf lifesavers. That is a stark statistic. </p>
<p>The core safety message promoted to beachgoers is to always “swim between the flags” on patrolled beaches. But clearly, unpatrolled beaches represent the major beach safety challenge in Australia – and this must be addressed.</p>
<h2>All drownings are preventable</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1326020023000961">recent study</a> showed coastal drowning rates in Australia did not change between 2004 and 2021. This was despite significant financial investment into coastal safety by all levels of government during this time.</p>
<p>And in 2023, the NSW government <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/splash-for-surf-life-saving-as-patrol-season-begins">announced</a> the biggest ever funding commitment to Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) – A$23 million over four years.</p>
<p>This raises important questions for both beach safety providers and their funding bodies. Are we doing enough to address the issue of drowning on unpatrolled beaches? Why aren’t we seeing a decrease in the number and rate of beach drowning? Is the current approach working? Are we doing enough evaluation? </p>
<p>These questions need to be answered because beach drowning, like all types of drowning, is preventable.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/drowning-risk-increases-during-heatwaves-in-unexpected-ways-heres-how-to-stay-safe-this-summer-212095">Drowning risk increases during heatwaves in unexpected ways -- here's how to stay safe this summer</a>
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<h2>The ‘swim between the flags’ message is not enough</h2>
<p>The safest place to swim on Australian beaches is between the red and yellow flags, under the supervision of trained lifeguards and surf lifesavers. This is the core safety message promoted to beachgoers, and should always take precedent. </p>
<p>But it’s unrealistic to assume beachgoers will always adhere to the message – in part, because the flags and lifeguards aren’t everywhere at all times. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/02/ai-rip-detection-technology-australia-beach-safety-drownings#:%7E:text=Fewer%20than%205%25%20of%20Australia%27s,is%20unpatrolled%20or%20temporarily%20unpatrolled.">Less than 5%</a> of Australia’s 11,000 beaches are patrolled, and most of those are patrolled only seasonally. Patrols rarely cover early mornings and evenings when many people choose to swim, and the supervised flagged area may only cover a tiny percentage of the length of the beach. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/22/909/2022/">recent study</a> documented why beachgoers swim at unpatrolled beaches. The reasons included proximity to their holiday accommodation and because the location is quieter and less crowded than patrolled beaches. </p>
<p>So while most Australians know they should swim between the flags, many choose not to, or simply don’t have the option. This can have fatal consequences. Surf Life Saving Australia’s latest National Coastal Safety Report <a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/ncsr23?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ">report</a> reported that 75% of the 902 coastal drowning deaths over the previous decade occurred more than 1km from a surf lifesaving service. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-is-the-right-time-for-children-to-learn-to-swim-173144">When is the right time for children to learn to swim?</a>
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<h2>Getting it right</h2>
<p>There’s an obvious need in Australia for a beach safety campaign that directly addresses safety on unpatrolled beaches. But we have to get it right – and taking an evidence-based approach is crucial.</p>
<p>For example, it seems logical to teach beachgoers how to identify dangerous rip currents. But <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278434322000760?casa_token=pYdktxnHyagAAAAA:mBxg-eaXyKJUNDOCJWFSntEcDV7jE6uDEg0bRxugetG7rHelw-_v8zuEXPwUKoGxkL-DNYI">research has shown</a> that people armed with this knowledge might become emboldened to swim at unpatrolled beaches. </p>
<p>In 2018, Surf Life Saving Australia launched the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j47ML57SPyk">Think Line</a>” campaign, which encourages beachgoers to spend a few minutes thinking about beach safety when they arrive at the beach. It’s a simple concept that could become generational over time. But it requires more promotion, more collaboration between beach safety providers, and more research into whether the message is changing beachgoer behaviour in a positive way. </p>
<p>Other efforts to improve safety on unpatrolled beaches include investment in technology such as <a href="https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/emergency-response-beacons/#:%7E:text=The%20ERB%20uses%20the%20latest,reassurance%20in%20an%20emergency%20situation.">emergency response beacons</a>. However, to date there’s been little to no evidence-based evaluation of their effectiveness.</p>
<p>Research into beach safety is a powerful tool. It provides evidence that can identify which educational approaches are working and which are not. Yet, funding of beach safety research pales in comparison to the amounts invested in untested safety interventions, or upgrades to existing surf club facilities and equipment. </p>
<p>It’s globally accepted that lifeguards are the best beach safety intervention. So why aren’t we directing more funding into increasing the presence of local government lifeguard services?</p>
<p>This expansion should involve extending lifeguard patrol hours during the summer on patrolled beaches and adding seasonal lifeguards on popular but hazardous unpatrolled beaches.</p>
<h2>Staying safe this summer</h2>
<p>Preventing drownings on our beaches requires a new approach – and some serious questions about where funding should be best directed. Otherwise, the terrible drowning death toll will continue.</p>
<p>In the meantime, you might find yourself wanting to swim at an unpatrolled beach this summer, or to swim early in the morning before lifeguards start duty. To help you understand the hazards and stay safe, UNSW Sydney has developed a new <a href="https://news.unsw.edu.au/en/if-in-doubt--don-t-go-out">educational resource</a>, including a <a href="https://youtu.be/3qXDBvO8mdc">video</a>. They are both worth a look; in fact, they may just save a life.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Brander receives funding from Surf Life Saving Australia, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Australian Research Council</span></em></p>All 54 drownings on the Australian coast last summer occurred in locations not patrolled by professional lifeguards or volunteer surf lifesavers. That is a stark statistic.Rob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2120952023-09-07T20:02:01Z2023-09-07T20:02:01ZDrowning risk increases during heatwaves in unexpected ways – here’s how to stay safe this summer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546791/original/file-20230907-17-gmk89q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C154%2C4264%2C3098&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/HuXaTzMDNWc">Dallas Morgan/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We know <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/72752/Royal-Life-Saving-Summer-Drowning-Report-2023.pdf">more people drown in summer</a>. It’s the perfect time to visit the beach, river or local pool. Aussies love hitting the water to cool down. </p>
<p>But the connection between drowning and heatwaves in Australia has not been explored until now. Our new research, published today in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-044938">Injury Prevention</a>, is the first to examine this link. </p>
<p>We found drowning risk during heatwaves was highest for males, older people and teenagers. But people of all ages were more likely to die from swimming or bathing in the heat. Drowning risk increased during low-intensity heatwaves and was higher still during severe heatwaves, but dropped back a little during extreme heatwaves, though the risk remained higher than usual. </p>
<p>Based on our findings, we want to raise awareness of drowning risk ahead of predicted heatwaves. We also offer strategies people can use to reduce their risk of drowning.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2022 reveals a disturbing trend.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/drowning-for-love-5-ways-to-protect-your-life-while-youre-trying-to-rescue-someone-in-trouble-in-the-water-197411">'Drowning for love' – 5 ways to protect your life while you're trying to rescue someone in trouble in the water</a>
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<h2>Drowning and climate change</h2>
<p>Drowning deaths are at an <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/67687/RLS_NationalDrowningReport2022_SPG_LR.pdf">generational high</a> in this country. Fatalities are the highest they’ve been since 1996. </p>
<p>A range of factors contribute to this upward trend, including climate. Drowning is inextricably linked to climate drivers such as extreme rainfall, as seen in the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-28/lismore-flood-emergency-levee-breaks-largest-on-record/100866296">tragic flood emergencies across northern New South Wales</a>. In 2021-22, 13% of drowning deaths in Australia were flood-related. </p>
<p>Overseas, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0241222">warmer winters</a> have led to an increase in drowning deaths in typically ice-covered regions, due to ice instability. </p>
<h2>What we did</h2>
<p>Using data from both the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Bureau of Meteorology we looked at Queensland between 2010 and 2019. We examined the “incidence rate ratio” of drowning on a heatwave day compared to a non-heatwave day. </p>
<p>This means we compared the 248 non-heatwave drowning deaths and 603,892 non-heatwave days, with the 92 heatwave drowning deaths occurring on 191,420 heatwave days. In this way, we sought to identify any increased risk of drowning. </p>
<p>Queensland is a vast state that experiences wide variations in climate, so it’s a good case study. </p>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>We identified a 17% greater risk of drowning during a heatwave, compared to non-heatwave days. Within this though, there are variations. </p>
<p>Men were 22% more likely to drown during a heatwave than during non-heatwave days, compared to 5% for women. People 65 and over were 36% more likely to drown on heatwave days. This was higher than children and teenagers (24% more likely) and 20-64-year olds (7% more likely). </p>
<p>There was also a difference in terms of the activities we are doing in the water. </p>
<p>Drowning risk during heatwaves was highest for swimming and bathing-related drowning with a 28% increase compared to a non-heatwave day. </p>
<p>The risk of drowning due to a water transport-related incident (such as boating) was 27% lower during a heatwave. </p>
<h2>The level of risk varies</h2>
<p>We also found the link between heatwaves and drowning risk is not linear, meaning risk doesn’t necessarily climb as the temperature does. As heatwave intensity increases, so does drowning risk but only to a point. While risk rises from 17% during low-intensity heatwaves to 26% during severe heatwaves, risk of drowning reduced to just 9% during extreme heatwaves (the highest intensity). </p>
<p>Our results suggest hotter temperatures see more people in the water and therefore exposure to risk of drowning increases. For those with pre-existing medical conditions <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-023-02430-6">exacerbated by the heat</a>, this likely also contributes to drowning risk.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/your-first-emotion-is-panic-rips-cause-many-beach-drownings-but-we-can-learn-from-the-survivors-210982">'Your first emotion is panic': rips cause many beach drownings, but we can learn from the survivors</a>
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<h2>Staying safe this summer</h2>
<p>It’s important to communicate the increased drowning risk ahead of predicted heatwaves, just as we do ahead of other <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8056972/drowning-warning-as-australia-day-nears/">peak periods for drowning</a> such as public and school holidays. It is also vital to educate people on simple strategies they can take to reduce their risk of drowning. </p>
<p>Some advice is pertinent regardless of the temperature. These include encouraging people to swim between the flags at <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/">patrolled beaches</a>, supervising young children around the water, and wearing a lifejacket when boating or rock fishing. </p>
<p>But other safety messaging may be even more relevant during heatwaves. Alcohol intoxication dramatically increases drowning risk and our previous research on alcohol consumption at rivers shows a <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6256-1">clear link</a> between excessive drinking and the air temperature. That is, the hotter it is, the more people drink. </p>
<p>And given drowning risk <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8863">increases for people with particular medical conditions</a>, such as epilepsy and cardiac conditions, it is important to be mindful of the increased risk to health that is present during a heatwave, even before entering the water. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Surf Life Saving Australia’s 2018 powerful public safety campaign.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>What it means for those who keep us safe</h2>
<p>Our research findings also have important implications for those who provide supervision around water, such as pool lifeguards and surf life savers. </p>
<p>During heatwaves, patrols could be staggered, starting earlier, with a break in the middle of the day, and extending longer into the evening, particularly with the sun setting later and warmer temperatures continuing into the night. </p>
<p>Extra resources are likely to be needed during low and severe heatwaves, but not necessarily heatwaves which reach extreme levels, as there appears to be a change in people’s behaviour and thus reduced drowning risk. </p>
<p>Those who respond to drowning emergencies must also prepare for more drowning incidents during heatwave conditions. Our excess mortality calculations identify heatwaves contributed to an additional 13 drowning deaths between 2010 and 2019. </p>
<p>Action on climate change is urgently needed for a range of reasons, including <a href="https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/28/2/185">drowning risk</a>. With global heat records being broken, Australia needs to be prepared for a potentially cruel summer and if you’re planning to hit the water, we urge you to be safe. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-8-deadly-days-of-christmas-how-to-stay-safe-from-drowning-in-australia-this-summer-167440">The 8 deadly days of Christmas: how to stay safe from drowning in Australia this summer</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212095/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden is an honorary Senior Research Fellow with Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and is the co-founder of the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group. She receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hannah Mason receives funding from the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jemma King is affiliated with the Australian Health Promotion Association and holds an executive position with the Queensland Branch. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Franklin receives funding from Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science, Agrifutures, and Queensland Government Fire and Emergency Services. He is affiliated with Royal Life Saving Society - Australia as a Volunteer Board Member and Senior Research Officer, Kidsafe as President and Board member, Farmsafe Australia as a Board Member, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine as a Board Member, and the Public Health Association of Australia as Co-Convenor of the Injury Prevention Special Interest Group.</span></em></p>New research reveals drowning risk increases during Australian heatwaves, especially severe heatwaves. Here’s who is most at risk and what we can all do to stay safe.Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW SydneyHannah Mason, Research assistant, James Cook UniversityJemma King, Lecturer, Public HealthRichard Franklin, Professor, James Cook UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2109822023-08-09T01:54:17Z2023-08-09T01:54:17Z‘Your first emotion is panic’: rips cause many beach drownings, but we can learn from the survivors<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541682/original/file-20230808-20-sxwagj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C254%2C4245%2C2826&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A rip current flows straight out to sea.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rob Brander</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Danger lurks in the surf beaches of Australia in the form of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hCZuYzNujI&t=208s">rip currents or rips</a>. These narrow, fast-flowing, seaward channels of water are responsible for an average <a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/slsa_ripcurrentsreport_2021">26 drownings a year</a> and 80-90% of the thousands of surf rescues. Yet, unlike other well understood and feared natural hazards such as bushfires and floods, the ever-present menace of rip currents is often overlooked. </p>
<p>Until now, the firsthand effects of rips on the people caught in them had also been overlooked. <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-get-sucked-in-by-the-rip-this-summer-21207">Not enough was known</a> about the human element of rip currents – who is getting caught, what their experience is actually like, what they know about rips, and what information about rips people are likely to understand and remember. </p>
<p>Research concentrated <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825216303117">more on physical characteristics</a> of the hazard, such as flow dynamics and types of rips. This is important, and such findings have been used to develop the best strategies to escape a rip. But understanding the human element is essential too.</p>
<p>With this in mind, we interviewed 56 rip current survivors for our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hpja.785">newly published research</a>. Their recollections painted a vivid picture of their experience. They offered invaluable insights into how people respond to being caught in a rip.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">How to survive beach rip currents.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-get-sucked-in-by-the-rip-this-summer-21207">Don't get sucked in by the rip this summer</a>
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<h2>Many survivors were naive about the risks</h2>
<p>Many interviewees had been naive and unprepared for encountering a rip. They knew little about rip currents and didn’t understand the dangers. They confessed to overestimating their swimming abilities and underestimating the conditions.</p>
<p>Some described approaching the ocean as though it was a swimming pool. </p>
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<p>We just basically ran into the water, as you do when you arrive at the beach, you throw down the towel, and we just raced into the water.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The Think Line is a strategy to stop people just rushing into the water without thinking about the risks.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/drowning-for-love-5-ways-to-protect-your-life-while-youre-trying-to-rescue-someone-in-trouble-in-the-water-197411">'Drowning for love' – 5 ways to protect your life while you're trying to rescue someone in trouble in the water</a>
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<h2>What is being caught in a rip like?</h2>
<p>Once caught in the rip’s grip, panic was a very common response, leading to a mental “fog” that hampered decision-making. </p>
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<p>Even if you know what to do it’s hard to put that into action when you’re actually in the rip […] because your first emotion is panic.</p>
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<p>This visceral fear led to dangerous mistakes. Many survivors had tried to swim directly against the powerful current - a potentially fatal strategy. </p>
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<p>I actually did think I was gonna die, I thought, ‘Oh my God that’s it, I’m gonna drown, that’s ridiculous […] how can I drown? That’s ridiculous,’ but I really did think that was it. […] I couldn’t think clearly enough to work out what to do. </p>
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<p>The aftermath of these experiences painted a distinct picture. All the interviewees emphasised nothing could match the actual experience of a rip current for understanding its force and handling its threats. They felt <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/surf-safety/ripcurrents">current safety information</a>, though plentiful, wasn’t as effective as it could be.</p>
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<p>Perhaps if people can get a sense of when they’re in a rip what are some of the sensations […] it’s about giving people some pointers of what it feels like to be in a rip […] I think for a lot of people it doesn’t really mean anything, particularly visitors, if they haven’t had a lot of experience.</p>
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<p>These interviews underscore the complex human aspects of the problem. Our strategies can’t just focus on stopping people from entering rips. This is practically impossible, as people will always want to swim at <a href="https://www.beachsafetyresearch.com/unpatrolled-beach-users">unpatrolled locations</a>. </p>
<p>Survivors shared a conviction that personal experience was the greatest teacher. </p>
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<p>Once you understand rips, I think the fear of them disappears because you can use a rip to your advantage.</p>
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<img alt="A view over a long, curved beach with rips visible at intervals among the waves" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541180/original/file-20230804-28-ygrmno.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Several rip currents can be seen at intervals along Lighthouse Beach, New South Wales.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rob Brander</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-spike-in-summer-drownings-what-the-media-misses-109948">Australia's spike in summer drownings: what the media misses</a>
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<h2>What are the lessons for surviving rips?</h2>
<p>While throwing everyone into a rip current for “experience” is hardly feasible, innovations such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32744527/">virtual reality</a> could provide a safe, controlled approximation of the experience. The importance of personal experience also underscores the need for Surf Life Saving programs such as <a href="https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/members/members-info/junior-activities-nippers/">Nippers</a> – immersive education for children and young people in a controlled environment. As one survivor told us:</p>
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<p>Most of us learn from our experience, and I think you have to experience things before you appreciate the reality of them. I certainly all these years have never really truly appreciated the enormity of a rip until I got caught into one.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our study identified the potential for psychological prompts to jolt swimmers out of their “rip fog”. These prompts could guide them to make the best escape decisions and resist panic that could cloud their judgement. Signs could be placed on the beach, providing simple, clear messages such as “REMAIN CALM” if caught in a rip. </p>
<p>One interviewee recalled having to “slap” a person during a rescue to get him to focus on escaping the rip.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Just as I got to him he had just given up […] I could see it in his face as I was swimming to him, and the only thing above the water was this much of his arm and that’s what I grabbed, and I pulled him up out of the water, and I slapped him across the face because […] I saw the look in his eye as he went under and it was sort of, well I don’t know, resignation? And so I smacked him and yelled at him that, you know, he had to help me, that I couldn’t do this by myself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our research underscores the need for innovative, behavioural solutions, such as Surf Life Saving’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOK_jJl7Wg">Think Line</a> campaign. This “line in the sand” aims to get people to stop to think about the risks before entering the water, look for rips and other dangers, and plan how to stay safe.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person walking on a surf beach along a line with the words in the sand: Stop. Look. Plan." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=265&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=265&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=265&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=332&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=332&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541842/original/file-20230809-31-na05ia.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=332&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Think Line: Stop, Look, Plan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOK_jJl7Wg">Crowdy Head SLSC/YouTube</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By integrating these insights into rip current safety strategies, we can promote a safer, more informed relationship between beachgoers and the sea. And that could reverse the tragic trend of <a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/ncsr_2022">increased drownings</a> at our beaches.</p>
<p><em>For more about rip current safety and to find your nearest patrolled beach visit <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/">Beachsafe</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210982/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Cornell was employed as a Research Assistant by the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group to conduct this work. The UNSW BSRG received funding from Surf Life Saving Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She maintains an honorary affiliation with Royal Life Saving - Australia as a Senior Research Fellow. The UNSW Beach Safety Research Group receives funding from Surf Life Saving Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Brander receives funding from Surf Life Saving Australia and the Australian Research Council.
</span></em></p>Rip currents are one of the great dangers of Australian beaches. We can learn a lot about avoiding and escaping this natural hazard by asking survivors what being caught in a rip is really like.Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Population Health, UNSW SydneyAmy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW SydneyRob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2089222023-07-21T12:28:45Z2023-07-21T12:28:45ZRip currents are dangerous for swimmers but also ecologically important – here’s how scientists are working to understand these ‘rivers of the sea’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537611/original/file-20230716-21935-qbqsh8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C15%2C5168%2C3430&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The gap between breaking waves in North Carolina indicates a rip current flowing away from shore.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.weather.gov/images/safety/photo/rip_nc18-1.JPG">National Weather Service</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve ever waded into the ocean for a swim and suddenly realized that the shore is getting farther away, not closer, you may have encountered a rip current. Common at beaches worldwide, these powerful currents flow from the shore toward the sea at speeds up to several feet per second.</p>
<p>It’s important to know what rip currents are and how to <a href="https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/ripcurrentscience/">look for them</a>, because they are a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/06/30/florida-beach-drownings-currents/">leading cause of drownings</a> in the surf zone near shore. According to one recent estimate, rip currents have accounted for <a href="https://floridapanhandle.com/blog/rip-current-statistics/">435 drownings in the U.S. since 2017</a>.</p>
<p>National Weather Service offices that serve coastal communities issue forecasts that predict where and when rip currents are likely to occur. Those forecasts draw on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.09.008">decades of research</a> into the physics of rip currents. Many scholars, including our research group, are finding innovative ways to discover more about rip currents – including their important roles in coastal marine ecosystems. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RJ4hcaJ91TY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Rip currents are narrow currents in the surf zone that move quickly away from shore.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Not all rip currents are the same</h2>
<p>All rip currents have similar effects, but they can form in several ways. </p>
<p>One type of rip, known as a bathymetric or <a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-science">channel rip current</a>, forms when there are gaps between breaking waves. As waves break, they push water toward the beach and raise the level of the water slightly. </p>
<p>If waves break on a sandbar, but not in a deeper channel that cuts through the sandbar, the extra water that the waves have pushed toward the beach escapes back to the ocean through the channel. The flow of the escaping water acts like a conveyor belt, moving water, unsuspecting swimmers and small marine organisms offshore. </p>
<p>Another type, known as a transient or <a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-science">flash rip current</a>, forms when surf is choppy. The edges of breaking waves push on the water and make it spin, like a fast ice skater bumping into someone. </p>
<p>This creates whirls known as eddies, which can combine to form larger whirls, with currents that act like temporary conveyor belts. Flash rip currents are an active area of research. </p>
<h2>Swim, float, call for help</h2>
<p>Choosing beaches with lifeguards and paying attention to <a href="https://www.weather.gov/media/tae/RipCurrentFlags.pdf">beach flag warnings</a> are the best ways to avoid rip currents. However, if you get caught in one, here are some techniques for getting safely back to shore. </p>
<p>Think of a rip current as a swift river cutting through the surf away from the shore. Swimming against the current is going to tire you out and put you at risk of drowning. Instead, swim parallel to the beach – think of heading for the “river banks” – until you are out of the rip current’s pull. Once you’re no longer fighting it, you can swim back to shore. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A barricaded pathway to a beach with a sign warning of drowning risk and barring swimming and surfing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537619/original/file-20230716-138859-f52ks8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New York City closed public beaches in September 2019 after Hurricane Dorian caused strong rip currents along the Atlantic coast.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sign-alerts-beach-goers-at-rockaway-beach-that-swimming-and-news-photo/1172788123">Spencer Platt/Getty Images)</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another strategy is to float until the rip current carries you offshore beyond the breaking waves. Rip currents slow down here, so you can swim away from the rip current and back to shore. </p>
<p>If you believe you’re in danger, try to stay calm. Wave your arms and call for help. If you see someone caught in a rip current, throw them a flotation device and alert a lifeguard. </p>
<h2>Forecasting rip currents</h2>
<p>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s <a href="https://www.weather.gov/beach/">rip current hazard model</a> provides advance forecasts of the likelihood of encountering hazardous rip currents given wave conditions at specific beaches. NOAA works continually to make these hazard forecasts more accurate, including through an ongoing partnership with the <a href="https://www.usla.org/">U.S. Lifesaving Association</a>. This partnership works to compare modeled predictions with lifeguard reports of rip current hazards and to recalibrate the model for different regions and waves. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1678467698731409408"}"></div></p>
<p>At the University of Washington, we are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-17-0076.1">evaluating NOAA hazard forecasts</a> against the latest rip current science. This helps us assess predictions for different types of rip currents, such as unexpected flash rips. </p>
<p>To measure rip currents, we sometimes put on scuba gear and battle the waves to set up <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/the-riddle-of-rip-currents/">instruments in the surf</a>. But this work can be expensive, and it relies on knowing where rips will occur beforehand. That isn’t possible for flash rips, so we need different methods to analyze those.</p>
<p>We use supercomputers and <a href="https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/wave-lab">massive wave tanks</a> the size of an Olympic swimming pool, with paddles at one end that produce waves, to simulate flash rips. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2023.104327">Wave tank laboratory experiments</a> and <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022AGUFMOS42A..06N/abstract">computer simulations</a> allow us to control the types of waves we produce and make it easier to collect a lot of data. This work is improving our understanding of the relationship between wave conditions and flash rips, which can help improve hazard predictions. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Waves in a large laboratory tank, stained with pink dye to track currents." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=285&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538371/original/file-20230719-27-t5e2i1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=358&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pink dye exits the surf in a flash rip current (yellow arrow) during large-scale wave tank experiments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Christine Baker</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Expressways for marine life</h2>
<p>Rip currents aren’t just a safety issue. Scientists are beginning to better understand the crucial ecological role they play in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060514">redistributing small marine organisms</a>, as well as plastic, pollutants, sediment and debris in coastal waters. </p>
<p>Many marine organisms, including oysters, barnacles, fish and coral, rely on <a href="https://tos.org/oceanography/assets/docs/20-3_pineda.pdf">ocean currents during their larval stage</a> to find suitable habitats. These organisms swim up or down or attach to floating or sinking material and are transported by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-032122-115057">multiple ocean processes</a>. </p>
<p>Rip currents are a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1265">key mechanism</a> for dispersing larvae to deeper waters or recirculating them in shallow waters. The rip current type and behavior may affect the movement of marine organisms. </p>
<p>Water temperature and salinity can change the behavior of rip currents – and send organisms on alternate routes – by modifying the water’s density. Our group has analyzed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091675">imagery taken from low-flying planes</a> and found that warmer rip currents carry water farther offshore at the surface, whereas <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072611">cooler rip currents</a> spread beneath the surface in different patterns.</p>
<p>Our research group and other scientists are using computer simulations and numerical “larvae” to investigate how temperature, <a href="https://pinc.ucsd.edu/">salinity</a> and other factors may affect transport of marine organisms. With better understanding of these surf-zone conveyor belts, we aim to help keep swimmers safe and assess how rip currents affect aquatic ecosystems near the shore.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208922/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Shie Nuss receives funding from National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Audrey Casper receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine M. Baker receives funding from the National Science Foundation and a Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Moulton receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Walter Torres receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. </span></em></p>Rip currents are a leading cause of near-shore drownings, but there are effective ways to survive one. And these phenomena also play important ecological roles that are an emerging research area.Emma Shie Nuss, PhD Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of WashingtonAudrey Casper, Data Analyst, NOAA Hazard Forecasting, University of WashingtonChristine M. Baker, Postdoctoral research scholar, North Carolina State UniversityMelissa Moulton, Research Scientist/Engineer, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of WashingtonWalter Torres, Postdoctoral Scholar, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2061922023-05-29T20:08:47Z2023-05-29T20:08:47ZThinking of quitting your child’s swimming lessons over winter? Read this first<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528158/original/file-20230525-19-o6pgti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C19%2C6359%2C4195&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The weather is getting chilly and the pool is looking less inviting than ever. At this time of year, with cooler temperatures and shorter days, swimming can be the furthest thing from our minds. It’s no wonder during winter many parents pause their child’s swimming lessons. </p>
<p>Many local pools in <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/Aquatic-Risk-and-Guidelines/aquatic-research/the-state-of-aquatic-facility-infrastructure">country areas</a> close during the cooler months, often reopening in spring.</p>
<p>So, does it matter if kids stop swimming lessons over the winter? Here’s what to consider before you pull the plug.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528161/original/file-20230525-25-397arn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The weather is getting chilly and the pool is looking less inviting than ever.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-is-the-right-time-for-children-to-learn-to-swim-173144">When is the right time for children to learn to swim?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The more time in the water, the better</h2>
<p>The first thing to note is that a pause can easily turn into stopping lessons altogether. Or, it can make restarting lessons in summer tricky, as children try to remember skills they haven’t practised in months. </p>
<p>And it’s important to remember drowning risk, particularly for young children, is present 365 days a year. </p>
<p>Almost a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jpc.14668">third of all drowning deaths</a> of children under five occur in autumn and winter.</p>
<p>Learning to swim is <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/keep-watch/keep-watch-actions">one strategy</a> for parents to reduce a child’s risk of drowning, alongside active supervision, restricting access to water and learning CPR. </p>
<p>However, an estimated <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/Aquatic-Risk-and-Guidelines/aquatic-research/strengthening-learn-to-swim">40%</a> of children leave primary school without being able to swim the length of an Olympic swimming pool. Participation in swimming lessons declines significantly after age seven.</p>
<p>That means the younger years represent a valuable time to ensure your child has the skills and knowledge to keep themselves safe in the water. </p>
<p>A 2015 <a href="https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ijare/vol9/iss3/2/">study</a> I co-authored found that, when it comes to children mastering the skill of swimming, the more time in the water the better.</p>
<p>One potential benefit of keeping up with lessons over winter is giving children the opportunity to regularly and continuously hone their water safety skills.</p>
<p>Swimming lessons offer kids other bonuses too, including <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03004430.2015.1096785">physical, cognitive and language skill development</a> benefits.</p>
<h2>Too many missed swimming lessons</h2>
<p>Ceasing swimming lessons in the cooler months may also mean you risk losing your preferred lesson timeslot. </p>
<p>It may even mean you lose your child’s place altogether, in an industry where demand often outstrips supply and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-09/swimming-lessons-waitlists-wa-south-west-shortage-of-instructors/101945516">waitlists can be long</a>. </p>
<p>Children’s swimming lessons have also been significantly affected by the COVID pandemic.</p>
<p>Research has <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/news-and-updates/news/work-needed-to-catch-up-on-missed-swimming-lessons">warned</a> too many kids have missed swimming lessons due to lockdowns, pool closures, swimming teacher shortages and long waitlists.</p>
<p>There are fears this will lead to a <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/news-and-updates/news/work-needed-to-catch-up-on-missed-swimming-lessons">generation</a> of Australian children leaving primary school without the basic skills needed to keep them safe and enjoy the water throughout adulthood.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528160/original/file-20230525-29-nhl8zb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The younger years represent a valuable time to ensure your child has the skills and knowledge to keep themselves safe in the water.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What about a summer intensive?</h2>
<p>If you must discontinue swim lessons over winter, consider enrolling your child in a holiday or summer intensive swim course. This is where kids have lessons every day over a week or two. It may give your child the chance to catch up after taking the winter months off. </p>
<p>Given the near <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/67687/RLS_NationalDrowningReport2022_SPG_LR.pdf">record number of drowning fatalities in Australia</a> last financial year, and the disruption to swimming lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns, it’s important we don’t lose momentum now. </p>
<p>Giving your children every opportunity to learn how to swim is vitally important. It could even save their life one day. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-should-my-child-take-swimming-lessons-and-what-do-they-need-to-know-131136">Why should my child take swimming lessons? And what do they need to know?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206192/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She maintains an honorary affiliation with Royal Life Saving Society - Australia as a Senior Research Fellow. </span></em></p>An estimated 40% of children leave primary school without being able to swim the length of an Olympic swimming pool.Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2040862023-05-15T18:01:12Z2023-05-15T18:01:12ZFewer swimming lessons and lifeguard shortages make swimming even riskier this summer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525719/original/file-20230511-19-9bbr9x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C38%2C5104%2C2835&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Swimming pool closures at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of Canadians missing swimming lessons. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/fewer-swimming-lessons-and-lifeguard-shortages-make-swimming-even-riskier-this-summer" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Every year, hundreds of Canadians <a href="https://www.lifesaving.bc.ca/Areas/Admin/Content/images/PageResourceFilePdfUpload/PageResourceFilePdf/Resource_5329335_Canada_Drowning_Prevention_Plan_9th_Edition_2022.pdf">drown in avoidable water-related incidents</a>. Gaps in swimming lessons, lifeguard shortages and climate change may make water-based activities even riskier this summer. </p>
<p>Many of the protective factors that used to be in place — like swimming lessons and supervised settings for swimming — are in short supply, while warmer weather is encouraging people to find new, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/drowning-calls-rise-1.6531663">often unfamiliar and risky places to cool off</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7716490/alberta-covid-reopen-swimming-pools/">Swimming pool closures</a> at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of Canadians missing swimming lessons. With facilities now open across Canada, parents are having <a href="https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/it-s-like-the-hunger-games-demand-for-swimming-lessons-outpaces-available-classes-1.6057441">great difficulty</a> enrolling their children in the limited swimming lessons that are currently available. </p>
<p>As a result, many parents are concerned, fearing their children <a href="https://www.thewhig.com/news/parents-frustrated-by-lack-of-swim-lesson-spaces-in-kingston">will not gain the skills</a> needed to be safe in, on or near the water. Though similar data is not available in Canada, one survey found that in Australia 55 per cent of parents <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/news-and-updates/news/new-data-shows-more-work-needed-to-encourage-swimming-and-water-safety">reported a decline</a> in their child’s swimming skills between 2019 and 2021. </p>
<h2>Lessons and lifeguards</h2>
<p>Some studies have suggested that swimming lessons may play an important role in protecting children from drowning. However, the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041216">evidence on the value of swimming lessons</a> in drowning prevention is not particularly strong. In fact, some researchers have asserted that lessons might give parents a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033881">false sense of security</a>, resulting in them not closely supervising their children. </p>
<p>People with swimming skills may also overestimate their abilities and swim in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.112.2.440">riskier areas</a>, exposing themselves to dangerous conditions. So while there is concern about the lack of swimming lessons available to Canadians, an underrated drowning risk is swimming in unsupervised areas.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People at a beach. A city skyline is visible in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525956/original/file-20230512-24215-xb83ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People at Vancouver’s Spanish Banks beach. Fewer swimming lessons and a lifeguard shortage mean swimming will be riskier this summer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Canada, <a href="https://www.lifesavingsociety.com/media/343290/cdn-drowningpreventionplan-8thedition.pdf">fewer than one per cent of drownings</a> occur in areas supervised by swimming instructors or lifeguards. However, these areas are currently in short supply. When COVID-19 forced pools and waterfronts to shut down, it halted all courses to train and certify lifeguards. </p>
<p><a href="https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/sampson-and-white-fix-the-canada-wide-shortage-of-lifeguards-and-swim-instructors">Lifesaving Society Canada</a> reported that in 2020 there were 60 per cent fewer candidates for lifesaving and lifeguarding courses and one-fifth of the usual number of swimming instructor candidates. </p>
<p>The reduction in lifeguards and swimming instructors has had a carryover effect in subsequent years. There are far fewer workers in the aquatic sector than pre-pandemic. Across Canada, the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio is at <a href="https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/labour_/labour-shortage-trends-canada">historical low</a>, which is exacerbating low numbers of lifeguards and swimming instructors.</p>
<p>In some areas, former aquatics workers have been taking on other jobs that do not require such extensive and <a href="https://www.caledonenterprise.com/news/town-of-caledon-launches-pilot-project-to-address-aquatic-staff-shortage/article_b2a8211c-b7b7-5ba8-ab80-b07f4b56fcca.html">expensive training</a> and levels of responsibility. </p>
<p>In fact, the shortage of aquatics staff is so great the Ontario government is considering revising the province’s <em>Health Protection and Promotion Act</em> to lower the minimum age of lifeguards to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9627874/ontario-proposes-lowering-minimum-age-lifeguards-15-ease-staff-shortages/">15 years of age from 16</a>. Some municipalities are offering to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/west-van-lifeguard-shortage-1.6471221">pay for lifeguard candidates’ training</a> and providing incentives like <a href="https://www.caledonenterprise.com/news/town-of-caledon-launches-pilot-project-to-address-aquatic-staff-shortage/article_b2a8211c-b7b7-5ba8-ab80-b07f4b56fcca.html">Starbucks gift cards</a> for picking up shifts. </p>
<h2>Dangerous swimming</h2>
<p>As supervised hours at <a href="https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/lifeguard-shortage-means-beaches-may-be-unsupervised-ncc-says">beaches</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/lifeguards-swimming-lessons-shortage-1.6519453">swimming pools</a> are scaled back due to staff shortages, and the <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-can-expect-another-hot-summer-in-line-with-climate-change-patterns-meteorologist-1.6312844">climate heats up</a>, more people may turn to swimming in new or unsupervised locations to cool off. That could have <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/drowning-calls-rise-1.6531663">tragic consequences</a>. </p>
<p>People swimming in unfamiliar areas may not be aware of hidden hazards, like drop-offs or rocks, or be unfamiliar with <a href="https://theconversation.com/rip-currents-are-a-natural-hazard-along-coasts-heres-how-to-spot-them-63081">rip currents</a>. These dangers may not be signposted in unsupervised areas. Cold water can also be a danger, even during heatwaves in the summer months. <a href="https://www.coldwatersafety.org/what-is-cold-water">Experts suggest</a> that water below 21 C can be dangerous.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sign at a beach warning there is no lifeguard on duty." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525954/original/file-20230512-24221-skp3ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are far fewer workers in the aquatic sector than before the pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Even strong swimmers will struggle in cold water due to <a href="https://beyondcoldwaterbootcamp.com/4-phases-of-cold-water-immersion">physiological responses</a>. Entering cold water can result in cold shock, which results in hyperventilation. If your airway is underwater while you hyperventilate, you can inhale water, which can lead to drowning. It is thus incredibly important to wear a lifejacket so that your airway remains above the water. </p>
<p>If you survive the cold shock phase, you could experience <a href="https://csbc.ca/en/cold-water">cold incapacitation</a>, which happens when your muscles and nerves get cold. That can lead to <a href="https://www.parks.wa.gov/1070/Cold-Water-Safety">swim failure</a>, which occurs when you can no longer keep your head above the water. Again, a lifejacket will play a crucial role in survival, as it will help you to stay afloat and may allow you to get to a safe location. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682">Hypothermia</a> sets in when your body temperature goes below 35 C, which usually takes at least 30 minutes, though it depends on water temperature and body mass. A person with hypothermia can become unconscious; if they are wearing a lifejacket, they will continue to float. </p>
<p>While Canadians are facing enhanced risk related to water-based activities, there are ways to manage this risk: Swim in supervised areas. Wear a lifejacket while boating, especially in cold or unfamiliar water and if you are not a strong swimmer. Always swim with a friend. Stay within arm’s reach of children. </p>
<p>If you are the designated adult who is watching swimmers, put your distracting devices away and give them your full attention. Following these practices can help keep you and your loved ones safe this summer.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204086/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Audrey R. Giles receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Transport Canada's Boating Safety Contribution Program. She is a member of the Canadian Drowning Prevention Coalition. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sofia Pantano and Umerdad Khudadad do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Gaps in swimming lessons, lifeguard shortages and climate change may make water-based activities even riskier this summer.Audrey R. Giles, Professor in Human Kinetics, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaSofia Pantano, Masters Student, Human Kinetics, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaUmerdad Khudadad, PhD Student, School of Human Kinetics, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1974112023-01-10T04:05:25Z2023-01-10T04:05:25Z‘Drowning for love’ – 5 ways to protect your life while you’re trying to rescue someone in trouble in the water<p>The <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-suffers-worst-christmas-drowning-spate-in-almost-two-decades-20221228-p5c93o.html">news headlines</a> show summer is a deadly period for drowning in Australia. Sadly, between December 1 and January 9, <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/summer-drowning-toll">35 people died</a> due to drowning. </p>
<p>There are a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-8-deadly-days-of-christmas-how-to-stay-safe-from-drowning-in-australia-this-summer-167440">range of reasons</a> why the season is one of heightened risk for water-related incidents. Our research shows drowning risk is twice as high for children during <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jpc.14235">school holidays</a> and similarly increased for adults on <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/4/4/42">public holidays</a>. </p>
<p>People may be more likely to visit unfamiliar places and waterways not patrolled by lifeguards. They may seek relief in the water on hot days and consume alcohol while swimming, fishing or boating. Such risks can, and do, lead to tragedy at our beaches, rivers and pools.</p>
<p>Two recent summer tragedies have involved bystanders who have drowned trying to rescue someone from the surf. On January 1, an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-02/off-duty-police-officer-drowns-beach-rescue-son-narooma/101821118">off-duty police officer</a> drowned while rescuing his son who was caught in a rip current at a beach south of Narooma, New South Wales. </p>
<p>Just a few days later, a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-03/man-drowns-back-beach-forster-nsw-mid-north-coast/101824456">man drowned</a> after trying to rescue his daughter from a rip current at Black Head Beach on the NSW mid-north coast. A nearby surfer was able to bring the girl ashore, but returned to assist her father and found him unresponsive. Both incidents involved rip currents at unpatrolled beaches and bystanders who drowned trying to save a child.</p>
<p>Researchers have a name for this tragic scenario: <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2010.01889.x">Aquatic Victim Instead of Rescuer</a> syndrome or “drowning for love”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-is-the-right-time-for-children-to-learn-to-swim-173144">When is the right time for children to learn to swim?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>One chance, 5 ways to protect yourself</h2>
<p>On average <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/in-an-emergency/how-to-carry-out-a-rescue-safely">five people drown</a> while performing a bystander rescue each year in Australia. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1753-6405.12900">research</a> shows most people who rescue others will perform only one rescue in their lifetime. Their altruism will most likely be directed to family members including young children. Men are more likely to perform a rescue at a coastal location, while women are more likely to save a child struggling in a swimming pool. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="young person underwater swimming" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503713/original/file-20230109-20-1pqg45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Men are more likely to rescue a loved one at the beach, while women are more likely to help a child at a swimming pool.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1449710146567-1e282fa41f2f?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2070&q=80">Unsplash/Tim Marshall</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>So what steps can you take to reduce your risk of needing to perform a rescue in the first place? If you do need to perform a rescue – and most parents will want to do anything necessary to save a child – how do you do so safely? </p>
<p>Here are five evidence-based tips to help you avoid danger this summer:</p>
<h2>1. Choose a patrolled beach</h2>
<p>The guidance for beach safety in Australia tells us to “swim between the red and yellow flags”. Unfortunately, few beaches in Australia outside of populated areas are patrolled by <a href="https://lifesaving.com.au/about/what-we-do/lifesavers-lifeguards">lifeguards</a> (who are paid professionals) or lifesavers (volunteers affiliated with community clubs). </p>
<p>Our research also shows people choose to swim at <a href="https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/22/909/2022/nhess-22-909-2022.html">unpatrolled beaches</a> because they are closer to their holiday accommodation or are less busy. Worryingly, many of those we surveyed at unpatrolled beaches were infrequent beachgoers with poor rip current hazard identification skills. Many did not observe safety signage, yet intended to enter the water knowing no lifeguard was present. </p>
<p>If you’re heading to the beach, plan your trip. Consult resources such as <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/">BeachSafe</a> or download the app to find your nearest patrolled beach. It’s worth the extra 15 minute drive to find one.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Red and yellow flag at beach" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503714/original/file-20230110-12-q0phr5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Patrolled beaches are much safer for everyone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/red-yellow-warning-sign-flag-600w-379996324.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Understand rips and learn how to spot them</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825216303117">Rip currents</a>, or rips, are strong, narrow offshore flowing currents that exist on many of the world’s beaches. </p>
<p>They begin close to the shoreline and flow offshore to the end of the surf zone (where waves are breaking) and various distances beyond. They are a global phenomenon because they are found on any beach with waves breaking across a surf zone. </p>
<p>Rip currents can be <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1075547014543026">notoriously difficult to spot</a> and are often appealing to swimmers due to the calm appearance of the water. They are dangerous because they can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.</p>
<p><a href="http://scienceofthesurf.com">Learn how to spot a rip</a> and, if in doubt, swim between the flags or speak to locals who know the safest places to swim. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FNHfWiaxQMY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Author Rob Brander (aka Dr Rip) explains his top 5 best tips for avoiding rips.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Stay calm and make a plan</h2>
<p>In the heat of the moment, it can be hard to think logically. But it’s imperative to take a moment to assess the situation. </p>
<p>There are a <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/in-an-emergency/how-to-carry-out-a-rescue-safely">range of rescues</a> you can make without having to enter the water. These include talking to the person in trouble, throwing them something buoyant, wading or rowing to them or reaching out. </p>
<p>If you do need to enter the water, ensure someone else calls for help. </p>
<h2>4. Take a flotation device with you</h2>
<p>Our research shows those who drown while performing a rescue on the coast usually <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0238317">do not take a flotation device</a> with them. </p>
<p>When adrenaline wears off and exhaustion kicks in, or if you need to support the weight of another person, having added buoyancy is vital. If you have a traditional flotation device such as a life jacket or boogie or surfboard, that’s great. If not, the humble esky or cooler, a pool noodle or even an empty soft drink bottle can provide some flotation assistance. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-one-of-the-many-australians-who-never-learned-to-swim-heres-how-to-get-started-173055">Are you one of the many Australians who never learned to swim? Here's how to get started</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5. Learn how to perform CPR</h2>
<p>Many people are alive today after almost drowning due to quick and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). First aid and CPR skills can assist someone who has been rescued from the water while you await emergency services. </p>
<p>While any attempt is better than no attempt, <a href="https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/hands-only-cpr">hands-only CPR</a> (chest compressions without rescue breaths) is not recommended in a drowning situation, given the importance of oxygen to the drowning victim. Consider enrolling in a <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/training-development/training-courses/resuscitation-courses">CPR and first-aid course</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-we-swim-in-the-ocean-we-enter-another-animals-home-heres-how-to-keep-us-all-safe-193457">When we swim in the ocean, we enter another animal's home. Here's how to keep us all safe</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s already been a heartbreaking summer for too many families. Heeding these tips may just save a life and ensure you and your loved ones enjoy time at the beach, river or pool safely. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WOOK_jJl7Wg?wmode=transparent&start=11" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Being caught in a rip can be ‘horrific’.</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197411/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is an honorary Senior Research Fellow with Royal Life Saving Society - Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Brander receives funding from Surf Life Saving Australia and the New South Wales Government Department of Justice via the Water Safety Fund.
</span></em></p>When a loved one is struggling in the water, you might want to rush in to save them. But make sure you stop and think or you could become the one in trouble.Amy Peden, Research fellow, School of Population Health, UNSW SydneyRob Brander, Professor, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1730552022-01-10T19:12:27Z2022-01-10T19:12:27ZAre you one of the many Australians who never learned to swim? Here’s how to get started<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435188/original/file-20211201-13-1v3qcfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3000%2C1994&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a kid growing up in one of the hottest parts of Australia, I was always in the water – pond, pool or creek. It was the only way to get cool. I was lucky enough to pick up swimming as I went along – but plenty don’t. As a coach and teacher of swimming for over 30 years I regularly meet adults who can’t swim. </p>
<p>Swimming is one of the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/4177.0Main%20Features22005-06?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4177.0&issue=2005-06&num=&view=">most popular physical activities</a> undertaken by Australians, but a large number of <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/33861/RLS_NationalDrowningReport2020LR-FINAL.pdf">Australians are poor swimmers</a> or cannot swim at all. Recent <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/staggering-rates-of-non-swimmers-waders-and-walkers-shock-water-safety-experts-20211215-p59huh.html">research</a> for Royal Life Saving Australia found one in four adults are either weak swimmers or can’t swim.</p>
<p>If you’re an adult non-swimmer, you’re not alone. Many <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/utility-navigation/media-centre/media-releases/new-campaign-aimed-to-increase-water-safety-awareness-among-multicultural-communities">new Australians</a> and Australians from non-swimming families don’t have a connection with the water. Some had a fright when learning to swim and avoid the water out of fear, some just never got the opportunity to learn as many Aussie school kids do today.</p>
<p>The good news is people of any age can learn to swim. With patience, perseverance and some expert help, it can be fun too. Just as when kids learn to swim, adults must first get familiar with the different sensations in and underwater.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-should-my-child-take-swimming-lessons-and-what-do-they-need-to-know-131136">Why should my child take swimming lessons? And what do they need to know?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A swim coach teaches a lady how to swim." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435187/original/file-20211201-25-k6ogcp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most learn to swim schools will run classes for adults.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Start small</h2>
<p>It is natural to feel anxious with your face in the water; after all, life is no fun without air. But with practice, the fear will diminish and having your face in the water will feel more natural.</p>
<p>Start with something simple like putting your face in the full flow of the shower. With your eyes open, put your face in the water stream and gently blow air out your nose while your mouth stays shut. Don’t forget to pop your face out for your next breath in (using the mouth). </p>
<p>Once you have developed confidence with fast-flowing water around your mouth and nose, you might try experimenting with how you can balance your body in the water.</p>
<p>Try a shallow pool at your local aquatic centre with a rail along the edge. Holding on to the rail, let your body relax into and be supported by the water. </p>
<p>For most people, the big parts of our body will want to float and our legs will probably sink. Finding your “balance” in the water and relaxing while you put your face under is a big hurdle for many non-swimmers. But try to take your time, have fun, and blow bubbles with your nose while your face is under. That keeps the water out of your nose.</p>
<p>Once you’re confident with your face in the water and want to get better at moving forward, it’s time for the next step. Use a floating aid like a pool noodle to help you balance, and experiment with using your arms and legs to push and pull your body through the water. Flippers can help with propulsion if you feel confident with them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man kicks in a pool with fins on." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435189/original/file-20211201-25-17r5cow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Flippers can help with propulsion if you feel confident with them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Getting expert help and setting a goal</h2>
<p>At this stage it is a great idea to <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/Aquatic-Risk-and-Guidelines/safety-programs/Adult-Vulnerable-Swimmers">get some expert help</a>. Most learn to swim schools will run classes for adults. </p>
<p>These classes will accelerate your learning so your strokes develop effectively. A few classes will get you started and then it will just be a matter of practice. The more you practice, the better you will get. </p>
<p>Having a goal is a good idea. You might start by trying to get to 10 good strokes in freestyle. Then 20, then 30 and so on. </p>
<p>Next, try to do one lap of the pool. It’s okay if you don’t make it at first, or if your technique isn’t perfect. Once you’ve made it to one lap, try again and see if you can make your technique a little better.</p>
<p>When you feel ready, you might try for multiple laps. See if you can set a goal to go swimming once a week – even better if you can team up with a friend and go together. </p>
<p>Being a swimmer provides huge <a href="https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/843063/State_of_Play_Report_-_Swimming.pdf">physical fitness</a> benefits and reduces your drowning risk – but it’s also just a lot of fun. </p>
<p>Don’t spend another summer sitting high and dry on the poolside while others have all the fun in the water. Make 2022 the year you learn to swim!</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three young women have fun underwater at the pool" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/435191/original/file-20211201-27-1o7kunw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t let others have all the fun at the pool this summer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-swimming-in-the-sea-is-good-for-you-68583">Health Check: why swimming in the sea is good for you</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173055/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Zehntner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Non-swimming adults must first get familiar with the different sensations in and underwater.Chris Zehntner, Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1674402021-12-19T19:54:22Z2021-12-19T19:54:22ZThe 8 deadly days of Christmas: how to stay safe from drowning in Australia this summer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426334/original/file-20211014-13-uztxcg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5615%2C3732&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Christmas is coming – meaning Australians are about to enter our most dangerous time of year for fatal drownings. </p>
<p>The eight days from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day are the deadliest period for drowning, with 201 lives lost over the past 15 years, according to my new analysis. </p>
<p>Using coronial <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/national-fatal-drowning-database#:%7E:text=The%20Royal%20Life%20Saving%20National%20Fatal%20Drowning%20Database%20features%20detailed,waterways%20since%201%20July%202002.">data</a> from the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia, my analysis shows a further 28 people drowned on Australia Day during the same 15 year period. My findings back up previous research, which found people are <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/4/4/42/htm">twice as likely</a> to drown in Australia on a public holiday than any other day. </p>
<p>But the danger isn’t limited to major holidays. January 10 inexplicably emerged from my analysis as a key date, with 32 people drowning over the past 15 years – more than on any other single day of the year.</p>
<hr>
<iframe src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/7791928/embed" title="Interactive or visual content" class="flourish-embed-iframe" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%;height:600px;" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
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<hr>
<p>The sadly predictable spikes in preventable drownings mean many river rescue divers and surf life savers have come to dread summer.</p>
<h2>The personal toll of preventable drownings</h2>
<p>The Murray River is Australia’s leading river drowning black spot. </p>
<p>For more than 40 years, Peter Wright OAM, a volunteer rescue diver with the Corowa Rescue Squad, has performed the harrowing task of retrieving bodies – including children – from the river: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have this feeling of dread as summer approaches. I find myself avoiding going near the river, as seeing people behaving badly or irresponsibly really gets to me […] I know it’s not if, but when we will be called to search the river for the next drowning victim […] The look of abject grief and disbelief on the faces of relatives and the noise of wailing families haunts me to this day.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aUvj-h1Q68Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Don’t panic, keep your head up’: Volunteer divers Stuart Dye and Peter Wright’s stories of avoidable drownings in the Murray River. Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/ncsr_2021">Data from Surf Life Saving Australia</a> paint a similar story. </p>
<p>The number of people who get into trouble at the beach spikes on public holidays. With an average of 20 rescues per day across the year in 2020/21, the period from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day sees this figure increase almost six-fold, with an average of 116 rescues per day.</p>
<p>According to Chris Jacobson, National Surf Life Saving Australia’s chair of lifesaving and a volunteer surf lifesaver of 20 years: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Surf lifesavers are constantly on the go attending to numerous rescues during this period, in particular on Australia Day. We see people not swimming between the flags, ignoring lifesavers, drinking and overestimating their abilities, which therefore requires our members to go to their aid.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WOOK_jJl7Wg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Do you know how to spot a rip at the beach? Surf Life Saving Australia.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>5 factors driving more summer drownings</h2>
<p>So why are Australians more likely to drown in summer, particularly on public holidays? And how can you be safer this summer?</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/426138/original/file-20211013-23-13tvm8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia Day aftermath: a beer-filled raft beside the Murray River at Albury.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Amy Peden</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Alcohol</strong></p>
<p>Alcohol is a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dar.12817">leading risk factor for drowning</a>. It impairs reaction time, impacts the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and can result in risk-taking behaviour.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6256-1">breathalysing research at rivers</a> – which are the leading location for drowning in Australia – found the average blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for adult river users was significantly higher on the Australia Day public holiday, with an average BAC of 0.175%. That’s more than three times the legal limit for driving a car.</p>
<p>Several river users also registered BACs in excess of 0.350%, seven times the legal limit.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rXEeN7a1ZxA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Drinking beside inland waterways is a key reason why so many people drown in them. Royal Life Saving Society.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Participation and exposure</strong></p>
<p>More people in and around the water means more people at risk of drowning.</p>
<p>Our research shows higher numbers of people visit aquatic locations on holiday periods during summer, including the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/5/4/66">Australia Day public holiday</a>. This is also sadly evidenced in the <a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/ncsr_2021">rescue</a> and <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/summer-drowning-toll#:%7E:text=Summer%20Drowning%20Report%202020%2D21,Report%202020%2D21%20click%20here.">fatal drowning</a> data.</p>
<p><strong>Warmer temperatures</strong></p>
<p>This deadly period for drowning often coincides with hot temperatures. Warmer weather drives people to seek out water to cool off, but are also linked to <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6256-1">higher blood alcohol concentrations</a>. </p>
<p>Higher air temperature also lead people to <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/5/4/66">spend longer in the water</a>. </p>
<p><strong>School holidays</strong></p>
<p>School attendance has been shown to be protective against drowning, with school-aged children 5-17 years old <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.14235">2.4 times more likely to drown during school holidays</a>. </p>
<p>The Christmas school holidays also coincide with this high-risk period and a number of public holidays. </p>
<p><strong>Visitors who don’t know local conditions</strong></p>
<p>In a normal, non-COVID summer, many Australians travel on their summer break, including to unfamiliar aquatic locations.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2313-576X/4/4/42/htm">Our research</a> shows visitors have increased drowning risk on public holidays compared to other days: 2.5 times the risk for people travelling within their own state, and 2.3 times the risk for those visiting other states or territories. </p>
<h2>How to stay safer by the water this summer</h2>
<ul>
<li>Check conditions of the river before you get in, observe how fast the current is going</li>
<li>Ask locals about the safest place to swim in a river</li>
<li>Swim between the red and yellow flags at the beach</li>
<li>Avoid alcohol around water</li>
<li>Always supervise young children in, on, or around the water</li>
<li>Always wear a life jacket when boating or using watercraft</li>
<li>Don’t drive, ride or walk through floodwaters, and don’t let children play in floodwaters</li>
<li>Learn CPR so you have the skills to act in an emergency.</li>
</ul>
<p>Those simple steps can save lives – and avoid so much needless pain, as volunteer rescue diver Peter Wright says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A drowning affects so many people. Not just the family but all those involved in the recovery, the police, ambulance and divers. It is often more difficult to cope with the pain-filled reactions of a family when you recover their loved one, than the task of diving in totally black, fast-running, snag-filled water, feeling for that lost individual. I just wish that people took water safety more seriously.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>For more water safety information, visit <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/">Royal Life Saving Society – Australia</a> and <a href="https://sls.com.au/">Surf Life Saving Australia</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167440/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden is an honorary Senior Research Fellow with Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and is the co-founder of the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group. She receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.</span></em></p>Australians are entering our most dangerous time of year for fatal drownings. So what can you do to keep yourself and loved ones safer this summer?Amy Peden, Lecturer - Injury Prevention, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1117092019-03-05T22:13:08Z2019-03-05T22:13:08ZWhy your tourist brain may try to drown you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312321/original/file-20200128-81403-18t4qza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=125%2C206%2C4940%2C3781&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tourist are a high-risk group for drownings.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the mid-winter break, many vacationers head south to sandy beaches and turquoise waters. But in their efforts to unwind — and warm up — they often put themselves at risk of drowning by committing a simple cognitive error referred to as “tourist brain.” </p>
<p>Tourist brain occurs when visual cues in unfamiliar places coax vacationers into taking risks. Recent studies suggest that tourists think <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58304-4_24">beach access points and resorts are located adjacent to safe swimming areas</a>, particularly when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-018-3424-7">visual cues such as manicured paths and promotional posters promote swimming at those locations</a>. </p>
<p>There is a tendency for tourists to believe that tour guides know whether a beach is dangerous and that their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1626-9">suggestions on where to swim is based on safety</a>. </p>
<p>In Costa Rica, for example, about 20 tourists drown each year. Most of those drownings involve tourists from the United States, Canada and Germany. The beaches of Costa Rica aren’t any more dangerous than others — the number of tourists who drown in other popular destinations is simply not known or reported. </p>
<h2>Why tourists drown</h2>
<p>Tourists are a high-risk group for drownings. They’re generally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.06.017">unfamiliar with the beach and its safety measures</a>, and have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00888.x">poor knowledge of beach hazards such as rip currents and breaking waves</a>. This lack of knowledge is further exacerbated by language barriers, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2014.953735">overconfidence in swimming ability</a> and the tendency to make unwise swimming decisions after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00367.x">too many beers and umbrella drinks</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258934/original/file-20190214-1758-15b99a8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Visual cues such as this palm-lined walkway can draw you to the water. While one of the signs warns hotel guests to be careful swimming, the design makes it appear that swimming is encouraged. At the end of this pathway is a series of semi-permanent rip currents along a beach popular with tourists on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Chris Houser)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many visitors simply do not think about water safety because beaches also offer plenty of distraction and temptation — drinks, vendors and people watching. </p>
<p>Many beaches popular with tourists do not have lifeguards or systems in place to warn beach users about dangerous waves, fast-changing tidal conditions, dangerous marine life such as sharks and jellyfish, and rip currents. Rip currents are believed to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-389-2019">the primary reason for rescues and drownings on recreational beaches in the U.S.</a> and around the world.</p>
<p>Beachgoers should heed the warnings and directions of lifeguards. The number of rescues and drownings may be greater when <a href="https://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/19/2541/2019/">lifeguards are perceived as being overly cautious</a>. Remember, lifeguards are trained to spot hazards and issue warnings, even when conditions may look safe to the untrained eye. </p>
<h2>Rip spotting</h2>
<p>Rip currents (commonly referred to as rips or colloquially as rip tides) are found on ocean beaches and some large lakes around the world. Driven by the breaking of waves, these currents extend away from the shoreline and can flow at speeds easily capable of carrying swimmers far from the beach. </p>
<p>While it can be difficult to spot a rip, they can be identified by an area of relatively calm water between breaking waves, a patch of darker water or the offshore flow of water, sediment and debris.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PuAlDTC_gIQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>A person caught in a rip is transported away from shore into deeper waters, but not pulled under the water. If they are a weak swimmer or try to fight the current, they may panic and fail to find a way out of the rip and back to shore. </p>
<h2>Peer pressure</h2>
<p>Even when people are aware of rip currents and other beach hazards, they may not make the right decisions. Despite the presence of warnings, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-018-3424-7">our actions are greatly influenced by the behaviour of others</a>, peer pressure and group think. The social cost of not entering the water with the group may appear to outweigh the risk posed by entering the water. </p>
<p>College students on spring break or <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1123187">taking part in study abroad programs are prone to taking risks when on the beach</a>. Their actions are guided by peer participation, sensation seeking and perceived benefits of being part of the group. Weak swimmers will put themselves in danger by following the group into breaking waves and deeper water. Young men are the most at risk for following the group and putting themselves in a dangerous situation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258942/original/file-20190214-1730-1pyhbr1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Respondents to a survey believed this beach was safe because people were on the beach and in the water. The rip current in the centre of the photograph was flowing at 1.5 meters per second.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Chris Houser)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In recent years, a large number of highly publicized drownings have involved students studying abroad. In 2011, for example, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/costa-rica-finds-body-of-us-student-missing-at-sea/2011/05/06/AFwKiSDG_story.html">three teenagers from Ohio were swept out to sea</a> at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1626-9">Playa Bejuco on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica</a> and drowned. </p>
<h2>Confirmation bias among beachgoers</h2>
<p>Dangerous currents are not present everywhere or at all times on the beach — the risk is different every time and every place you enter the water.</p>
<p>If someone enters the water and does not encounter strong waves or currents, they’re more likely to engage in risky behaviour the next day and the next, and so on. The behaviour of beach users is affected by confirmation bias, a cognitive shortcut where a person selectively pays attention to evidence confirming their preexisting beliefs and ignores evidence to the contrary. </p>
<p>Simply put, people believe, “If I did not drown or need rescue in the past, I will not drown or need rescue today or in the future.” </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262181/original/file-20190305-48423-po7k99.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How to escape a rip current.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00888.x">Tourists are three times less likely to make safe swimming choices than residents and regular beachgoers from the region</a>.</p>
<p>Vacationers can stay safe only if they are aware that beaches at tourist destinations may be dangerous. They should swim at beaches patrolled by lifeguards who will rescue and <a href="https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11284">intervene when someone puts themselves at risk</a>. </p>
<p>Just because a beach is accessible, has numerous attractions and is near to a resort, does not make it safe.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111709/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Houser has received funding from Texas Sea Grant, Florida Sea Grant, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. </span></em></p>Just because a beach is accessible, has restaurants, lounge chairs and vendors, and is near a resort, does not mean it’s safe.Chris Houser, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science, and Dean of Science, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1099482019-01-31T19:10:57Z2019-01-31T19:10:57ZAustralia’s spike in summer drownings: what the media misses<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256024/original/file-20190129-108342-1ns7vdb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C5%2C992%2C727&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Media reports tend to focus on people who drown at the beach. But almost as many people drown in rivers and lakes. Where are the safety messages for them?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-floating-down-river-blow-tube-634734599">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You’d be hard pressed to have missed the news that there’s been a big spike in the number of drowning deaths this summer – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/02/drownings-in-australia-up-51-on-last-summer-after-five-men-die-on-new-years-day">up about 50% since last year</a>. The media’s been full of stories of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/punjabi/en/article/2018/01/03/migrants-and-tourists-account-third-drownings-australia-lifesavers-want-better">migrants and tourists</a> losing their lives on our beaches.</p>
<p>But our unpublished analysis of the coverage of drowning deaths this summer reveals many news outlets don’t present the true picture of what’s happening in our waterways. And that’s putting people most at risk of drowning in even greater danger.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mondays-medical-myth-wait-30-minutes-after-eating-before-you-swim-10653">Monday's medical myth: wait 30 minutes after eating before you swim</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What the media is not quite getting right</h2>
<p><strong>Are foreigners and migrants more at risk than Australian-born swimmers?</strong></p>
<p>We found that almost half of all stories reported on drownings of migrants and people from overseas. For example, the deaths of three migrants at <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/surf-life-savers-issue-plea-to-families-amid-drowning-tragedy-20181218-p50n2f.html">Moonee Beach</a> in NSW was the most covered incident across stories analysed. Many of these articles suggested solutions such as ensuring tourists are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-04/spate-of-drownings-in-north-queensland/10459462">informed</a> of water risks and <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/swimmers-urged-to-show-the-water-respect-after-spate-of-festive-season-drownings">providing new migrants swimming classes</a>.</p>
<p>Again, these suggestions are useful, but the idea that more drowning victims are foreign-born is misleading. Only two articles we read pointed out the truth – that only a third of deaths this summer involved people born overseas. This is about the same proportion of the Australian population born overseas at <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/3412.0Main%20Features32015-16?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3412.0&issue=2015-16&num=&view=">28.2%</a>. Although overseas tourists are more at risk of drowning, migrants are not. </p>
<p>All swimmers need to be made aware they are at risk, foreign-born or not. In fact, Australians raised on home soil may actually be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517704000445">overconfident</a> of their water safety knowledge and swimming ability, and the media needs to be more explicit about this. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255521/original/file-20190125-108370-q9axaw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australian and foreign-born swimmers are both at risk of drowning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Photo by zayzayem on Foter.com / CC BY-SA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Are beaches really more dangerous than rivers?</strong></p>
<p>Our analysis showed a clear preference for reporting beach-related drowning deaths over deaths occurring inland, such as in rivers and lakes. This bias perpetuates the idea that beaches are more risky than inland water. </p>
<p>However, this summer, <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/facts-and-figures/summer-drowning-toll">almost as many deaths</a> occurred in inland waterways than beaches (43% v 47% at the time this was written), and in 2017/18 more drowning deaths occurred in natural <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/23197/RLS_NDR2018_ReportLR.pdf">inland waterways</a>. </p>
<p>So most stories emphasise providing beach-related safety tips, emphasising the importance of visiting patrolled beaches and learning how to spot rips. Although this is important advice, it doesn’t apply to inland bodies of water. Where advice is provided, there are statements such as “<a href="https://www.corowafreepress.com.au/@news/2018/12/12/359195/respect-the-river">respect the river</a>”, which provides little practical guidance. </p>
<p>By focusing on beaches, the media may also be missing an opportunity to warn Australians of the dangers of rivers and lakes, which are being greatly underestimated.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255278/original/file-20190124-135142-ccqhqg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rivers may seem safe, but deep water and fast flowing currents can be dangerous.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mr.TinDC on Foter.com / CC BY-ND</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Vague advice</strong></p>
<p>In many stories, safety spokespeople talk about the “think and plan” approach to water safety. This guidance encourages swimmers to choose swimming areas that suit their abilities, assess the risks and consider possible rescue methods. However, little guidance is given on how to assess environments for dangers. And few Australians know what to do when someone is drowning.</p>
<h2>How can we reduce drownings?</h2>
<p><strong>What should governments do?</strong></p>
<p>Governments need to provide education that reflects real risks. This includes identifying dangerous river and lake conditions, and learning what to do if you get stuck in a current. Communication around water safety after storms and heavy rains can also help, such as during news weather reports. </p>
<p>Although many water bodies have safety warning signs, there is <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/4046/Water_Safety_Signs_-_Final_July_2008.pdf">limited evidence</a> they work to prevent unsafe behaviours.</p>
<p>What is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797615569578">well documented</a> is that people follow what other people are doing, especially when they are young, so may ignore signs if others are acting dangerously. As well as signs, more strict enforcement at particularly dangerous spots may be needed, such as random patrolling of rangers and building fences. </p>
<p>A last important action is providing rescue equipment at beaches and popular inland swimming spots, including emergency phones, floatation devices and rope. </p>
<p><strong>What should I do?</strong></p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://www.horsham.ymca.org.au/participate/swimming-pool-aquatics/water-safety-tips/in-the-rivers.html">these tips</a> on how to stay safe around rivers. Tips include checking the depth of the water before swimming, something many Australians don’t do. </p>
<p>You can do this by looking for reeds breaking the surface or using a stick. You can also test current speed by throwing a leaf in the water and seeing how fast it flows. If you get stuck in a current, lie on your back, feet forward, until you reach a shallower area.</p>
<p>It’s also important to be aware of when you need to wear life jackets. Most Australians would be aware that we should wear them on smaller motor boats, but what if you are rock fishing? Or being towed in a tube? <a href="https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/safety-rules/safety-equipment/lifejackets.html">Different states</a> have slightly different guidelines.</p>
<p>Don’t swim if you’ve been drinking. Even a small amount of alcohol <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/5815/Swim-Safe-Swim-Sober-Report.pdf">can impair</a> your ability to swim and respond to hazards. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255282/original/file-20190124-135154-14cyrjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Use a floating object to rescue.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">christophercjensen on Foter.com / CC BY-ND</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If someone is drowning, the <a href="https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/3974/18.-Rescue-Safety.pdf">safest way</a> to save them is to throw a floating object, such as a life ring or life jacket, or the end of a rope or stick. If the person is too far or you have nothing available, don’t try to saving the victim if you have not received proper training or you are not a confident swimmer. Call emergency services and ask others for help.</p>
<p>Lastly, look out for friends and children. Active supervision isn’t about sitting nearby on your phone – it can take as little as <a href="https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Water_Safety/">20 seconds</a> for a child to go under. <a href="https://royallifesavingwa.com.au/your-safety/first-aid-and-emergency-care/recognising-a-person-is-drowning">Signs of a person drowning</a> include their head tilted back and mouth at water level, hair over the forehead or eyes, their body in a vertical position, and gasping. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255277/original/file-20190124-135151-15h3y9i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Actively supervise children at all times.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">dickdotcom on Foter.com / CC BY-SA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With the right action from governments and individuals, we can save tens of lives from drowning in our waterways. This action can’t just wait until next summer – staying safe is an all-year round endeavour. So, campaign for better safety measures at your local waterways, get yourself educated and trained, and help make sure that Australia’s favourite summer pastime only leaves happy memories.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109948/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Migrants are no more at risk of drowning than Australian-born swimmers but you’d never know from media reports.Medhavi Gupta, PhD Candidate, George Institute for Global HealthJagnoor Jagnoor, Senior research fellow, George Institute for Global HealthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/895132018-01-01T14:37:26Z2018-01-01T14:37:26ZIs a cold water swim good for you, or more likely to send you to the bottom?<p>There are people who will tell you that a dip in cold water is not just exhilarating and enlivening, but good for you. They have not, they will tell you, had a cold for years. In many nations there is a cultural tradition of cold water dips – whether that’s a swim on special occasions such as Boxing Day or New Year’s Day <a href="http://gafirs.org.uk/new-years-swim/">as in the UK</a>, or as part of a routine of alternating hot saunas and cold baths perceived to have health benefits, such as in Japan, Germany, Russia and <a href="http://cphpost.dk/news/culture/a-celebration-of-ice-cold-water.html">Scandinavia</a>. </p>
<p>But cold water immersion is a doubled-edged sword – and there is another group, often including those working in search and rescue, who will warn of the dangers posed by cold water. On average, <a href="http://www.rlss.org.uk/water-safety/drowning-prevention-week/">someone drowns every 20 hours in the UK</a> – and the Christmas holiday period is a particularly a bad time of year for drinking and drowning. </p>
<p>There are centuries of references to the dangers posed by cold water: Herodotus, describing the ill-fated sea expedition of the Persian general <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mardonius">Mardonius</a>, wrote in 450BC that “those who could not swim perished from that cause, others from the cold”. In December 1790, James Currie, a physician, stood unable to help as the crew of a stranded American sailing ship fell into the cold sea and drowned. Currie was so affected he went on to undertake the first recorded experiments on the effects of cold water immersion on the human body.</p>
<p>Similarly, claims for the health benefits of cold water, in spa or sea, also boast a long heritage: Hippocrates’ <a href="http://www.greekmedicine.net/therapies/The_Water_Cure.html">water therapy</a> was designed to allay “lassitude” (physical or mental weariness), while Thomas Jefferson claimed that 60 years of daily cold foot baths every morning had “maintained his good health”. By 1750, there was much published writing that recommended sea swimming for the treatment of a range of diseases, with winter considered the best time to engage in the activity. Sea bathing reached a peak in popularity in the late 18th century and led to the establishment of many of the seaside towns and resorts we visit today. Recently there has been a significant increase in the popularity of “wild” swimming in lakes, rivers and streams, or <a href="https://www.internationaliceswimming.com/">marathon swimming</a>.</p>
<p>The question is: what does the science say as to whether a freezing dip will “kill or cure”? We <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/EP086283/full">looked at the evidence</a>.</p>
<h2>A quick way to die</h2>
<p>There is no doubt that the physiological responses to immersion in cold water are dangerous, and are precursors to sudden heart attack, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1982576/">the loss of capacity to swim</a>, hypothermia and drowning. Hypothermia has traditionally been regarded as the major threat from being in cold water, largely thanks to the fate of victims of the Titanic disaster and, later, the tens of thousands of mariners’ deaths during World War II – some 30,000 of 45,000 Royal Navy deaths occurred when sailors escaping their sinking ships were trying to survive in the sea. </p>
<p>However an increasing collection of statistical, experimental and anecdotal evidence has meant that focus has shifted to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2691172">the “cold shock” response</a>: the initial cardio-respiratory response evoked by the sudden cooling of the skin. This places a strain on the heart, and the sudden loss of control over breathing leading to gasping means that the likelihood of breathing in water, even the small volume of water necessary to drown, is significantly increased.</p>
<p>For example, the cold shock response peaks in water between 10-15°C, and the initial one to two-litre gasp of breath prompted by cold water immersion is usually larger than the lethal dose of salt water for drowning. The cold shock response explains why about 60% of those who die in cold water do so in the first minutes, not in the much longer period required for hypothermia to set in.</p>
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<h2>Invigorating</h2>
<p>On the plus side, there is no doubt that a cold dip stimulates the body. The release of stress hormones gives that energised feeling of being really “alive”. The cold and pressure on the body from immersion in water can also act to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3766664/">reduce swelling and combat inflammation</a>. The use of tcold water therapy to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008262.pub2">aid recovery after exercise</a> has been reported to have differing levels of efficacy depending on the exercise and treatment used.</p>
<p>Staying with the theme of inflammation, there is an expanding body of evidence that links inflammation with physical and mental health. Becoming adapted to cold water through repeated immersions can theoretically <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10735978">reduce the body’s inflammatory response</a>. This reduction of inflammation explains why repeated cold water immersion may be therapeutic for other conditions which may have an inflammatory component. For example there is recent research to suggest that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26711676">depression</a> is a response to inflammation in the body. </p>
<p>There is also evidence that adapting the body to cold water enhances the body’s ability to adapt to other, apparently unrelated stresses. For example, there is evidence that short immersions in cold water improves the body’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20643773">response to high altitude stress</a>. Having become adapted to cope with one, the body is also better at coping with the other.</p>
<p>Finally, that old chestnut about cold water baths being a defence against the common cold: when it comes to the benefits to the immune system of a freezing swim, the jury is still out. Some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8925815">laboratory studies</a> have reported improved markers of immune function, but the clinical significance of these findings is uncertain. </p>
<p>For example, upper respiratory tract infection is often used as a useful measure of immune system functioning: open, cold water swimmers have been found to have fewer infections than their non-swimming partners, but <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4580837/">no fewer infections than indoor swimmers</a>. And herein lies one of the problems with the “benefits” side of the cold water debate: the properly controlled experiments that isolate cold water immersions from socialising, exercise, getting fitter, taking exercise in nature (so-called “green” therapy) and other activity that add complicating variables simply haven’t been done.</p>
<p>So, on balance the evidence is that cold water has a somewhat greater potential to “kill” than to “cure”. However, you can still enjoy and be invigorated by your festive dip, but go in slowly, with a friend, at a supervised event – and if you can wear a fancy dress costume that incorporates a wet suit, no one will blame you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89513/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Tipton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cold water drowning kills many people every year. But can it also provide curative benefits? We asked an expert.Mike Tipton, Professor of human and applied Physiology, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/725052017-02-21T19:09:52Z2017-02-21T19:09:52ZWhat’s most likely to kill you? Measuring how deadly our daily activities are<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/155778/original/image-20170207-27202-ybzlw4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You're far more likely to drown in the water than get killed by a shark, so why are we more afraid of the latter?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com.au</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s always distressing and tragic when we hear a report of shark attack. But what is the actual likelihood of dying due to a shark encounter in Australia? How concerned about this are you as you go swimming? How concerned should you be? </p>
<p>These are all very basic questions and they serve as great opportunities to understand how we perceive risks and, importantly, how we can do this better. </p>
<p>So let’s answer the first question: how likely is a fatal shark attack for an Australian? To get a crude estimate of this, averaged across the whole population, you would divide the number of people who have died due to a shark attack each year (on average three to four each year <a href="https://taronga.org.au/conservation/conservation-science-research/australian-shark-attack-file">based on recent data</a>) by the population of Australia (approximately 24 million). This yields a risk of approximately one in eight million per year, which is thankfully very low. </p>
<p>Does this assuage your fear? If not, the reason is probably that the imagery of a shark attack is so terrifying. Any unusual and dramatic event has a huge impact on our psyche and this distorts our perception. </p>
<p>Also, it’s not that easy for us to interpret what a risk expressed as a relative frequency truly means.</p>
<h2>Putting risks into perspective</h2>
<p>So how can we tackle this issue of understanding risk better, and putting it into perspective? One interesting and useful way is to use the “micromort” – a one-in-a-million chance of death – as a unit of risk to help with comparisons between risky events. <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-technology-assessment-in-health-care/article/div-classtitlemicrorisks-for-medical-decision-analysisdiv/49AE0C38CD7BDEF7603EC3EB71529DE5">A Stanford professor first suggested this tool in the 1970s</a>. </p>
<p>If something exposes you to a micromort of risk, this means it exposes you to a one-in-a-million chance of dying. Using micromorts to understand risk is by no means perfect, but it can work quite well to dispel some commonly held misconceptions as to how risky certain activities are. </p>
<p>So, firstly, let’s try to fully understand what a one-in-a-million chance is. One useful analogy is that it represents the same likelihood as tossing a coin 20 times and having it land heads up every time. You don’t need to have a good grasp of probability to understand how unlikely this is and therefore how small this unit of a micromort of probability is. </p>
<p>Before we look at this concept in practice, it’s worth noting that estimates of how likely events are depends on which data have been used to calculate these likelihoods. Data from different countries may yield different estimates. Broadly speaking, however, the riskiness of the following activities is fairly universally agreed on, as they are usually similar across Western countries.</p>
<p>Everyone would consider skydiving dangerous, and it is. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromort">According to world experts</a> on the subject, skydiving increases your risk of dying by approximately eight to nine micromorts per jump (meaning you have roughly a one-in-100,000 chance of dying).</p>
<p>Interestingly, marathon running, an activity probably considered healthy, also increases your risk of dying by approximately seven micromorts per run. So if you are a marathon runner who is scared of jumping out of an aeroplane because of the risks, one might argue there isn’t really a rational basis for this fear. </p>
<p>Scuba diving is another activity everyone would consider to involve significant risks. It increases your risk of dying by approximately five to ten micromorts per dive. </p>
<p>And for those of you who aspire to scale Mount Everest, this would expose you to a whopping 40,000 micromorts per ascent.</p>
<p>As a point of comparison, let’s look at the risks of the very relatable activity of travel. Driving a car for 400km exposes you to approximately one micromort of risk. You would only have to ride a motorcycle for 10km to expose you to the same risk of dying, which puts into perspective how much riskier riding a motorbike is. </p>
<p>Aeroplane travel (by commercial jet), which strikes fear into some people, is <a href="http://www.tjpalanca.com/2014/03/on-probability-of-mortality.html">very safe statistically</a>. You would have to travel for <a href="http://archive.is/20120714164305/http://stanford-online.stanford.edu/sdrmda61w/session10b/slides/sld031.htm">more than 10,000km</a> to be exposed to a micromort of risk.</p>
<p>If this makes you too afraid to leave the house, even mooching around the house has risks associated with it. Using “what Australians die of” data from the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3303.0">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a>, sitting on a chair (due to the likelihood of falling off it) increases your risk of death by approximately 1.3 micromorts. Slipping and falling increases your risk of death by 13 micromorts. Just having a bath increases your risk of death by 0.3 micromorts. </p>
<h2>Everything carries risk</h2>
<p>So if the likelihood of being killed by a shark is approximately one in eight million over the course of the year, sharks increase our risk of death by 0.125 of a micromort per year. To put this in perspective, the yearly increase in our risk of dying in a shark attack is the same as the risk that many of us are willing to take in our commute to work and back each day. And it is nearly a hundred times less than the risk of drowning when you go swimming (<a href="http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/facts-and-figures/research-and-reports/drowning-reports">approximately 12 micromorts</a>). </p>
<p>Interestingly, kangaroos (<a href="http://www.ncis.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/FACT-SHEET-Animal-related-deaths-final.pdf">approximately 0.1 micromorts</a>) pose a risk of death that is similar to that posed by sharks, but our cute national emblem does not evoke quite the same fear in us.</p>
<p>So the micromort unit is incredibly useful for putting the magnitude of a risk into some sort of context. It’s important to be aware, however, that being based on population-level data, the micromort is not a measure of your personal risk. For example, the risk calculation for fatal shark attacks is based on the average risk across the whole population. </p>
<p>So it effectively estimates a risk based on the assumption that all Australians swim in the deep ocean a similar number of times per year. But if you live in Alice Springs, you would not expect your risk of being killed by a shark to be the same as for a surfer who lives on the coast. Similarly, if you only wade in water up to your knees and don’t swim in deep water, your personal risks would be different. </p>
<p>Despite this limitation, this measure serves as a useful way to override our inherent predilection for irrationality in the perception of risks. It allows us to contextualise everyday risks. </p>
<p>Everything in life has risks and the art of living a good life is to be clear as to when risks are worth taking. Every day we get out of bed (which increases your risk of death <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3303.0">by about 2.4 micromorts!</a>) we make a trade-off between the risks associated with what we do and our enjoyment of life, even if we are not always perceiving these risks accurately.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72505/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hassan Vally does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A Stanford professor developed a handy way of estimating and comparing our risk of death from various events – the micromort.Hassan Vally, Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/574072016-04-11T13:48:45Z2016-04-11T13:48:45ZHow microscopic algae are helping forensic teams catch criminals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/118014/original/image-20160408-23649-1q30ozc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Algae in water and soils can be a great forensic tool.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> Couperfield /shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>From deserted fields and dark forests to murky rivers and concrete jungles, environments can leave traces of physical evidence on a criminal. This principle has been well known to crime scene investigators (both real and fictional) since the the late 1800s. However, figuring out what the most reliable pieces of evidence are – and how to best detect and analyse them – can be difficult.</p>
<p>Microscopic algae, such as <a href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/diatom.html">diatoms</a>, can be picked up from virtually anywhere there is water – including seas, lakes, soils, some domestic water supplies and even moist surfaces such as exposed rocks. While diatoms traditionally have been used to diagnose death by drowning, research is unravelling their huge potential for use as trace evidence in a range of forensic investigations.</p>
<p>Diatoms appear golden brown to the naked eye. However, when seen under the microscope, they display a beautiful range of shapes, colours and ornamentation. There are estimated to be more than 20,000 species worldwide. Diatoms are composed of silica – <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/diatom-caltech-strongest-natural-biological-material-strength-toughness-a6863176.html">recently found</a> to be the strongest natural material on the planet. </p>
<p>Although most forensic investigations are carried out on dry land, roughly 71% of the Earth’s surface is <a href="http://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html">covered in some sort of water</a>. Such marine or freshwater environments are often encountered as crime scene locations or sites of accidental death, suicide and natural or civil disasters (including plane crashes). Even when a crime is carried out on land, water scenes may be used by a perpetrator to dispose of any incriminating evidence.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117990/original/image-20160408-23642-11y9koh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Diatoms through the microscope.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Prof. Gordon T. Taylor, Stony Brook University/wikimedia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Diatoms are useful when diagnosing drowning as a cause of death. Their microscopic size and presence in standing and flowing water means they are often inhaled and swallowed during drowning. They are then transported throughout the circulatory system, and deposited in various organs including the lung, brain and bone marrow. </p>
<p>Diatoms can be observed under a microscope after a post-mortem examination. They can then be compared to the diatoms in the water where the body was found. If diatoms are not present in the body, it may mean that the victim didn’t die by drowning after all. If the diatoms in the organs are significantly different from those in the water in which the body was found, it may mean that the victim has been deliberately drowned elsewhere and then moved to a second location in order to make a crime look accidental.</p>
<p>Although widely used, the accuracy of the diatom test for drowning is <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073805005980">highly debated among experts</a>. It is generally agreed that diatom analysis can provide important evidence of drowning, but should be used alongside other independent techniques within forensic pathology.</p>
<p>Research has also demonstrated how diatoms can be used to estimate the time since death – a crucial piece of information in any forensic investigation. This is notoriously difficult to do in water, with scientists often drawing conclusions based on the body’s level of decomposition and the presence of insects and bacteria.</p>
<p>In <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00748.x/full">one study</a>, scientists examined the accumulation of algae over time on animal remains as a proxy for humans. The diversity of algae on piglet bodies in water tended to decrease over time with a peak in diatoms recorded after 1-8 days of decomposition. This kind of work remains largely experimental, but it has potential to be used for establishing a timeline since death (or submersion) in water.</p>
<h2>Every contact leaves a trace</h2>
<p>Diatoms are also showing promise as trace evidence indicators. The concept that criminals often unknowingly pick up traces from a crime scene while leaving their own behind, has already led to the forensic examinations of materials including dust, paint fragments, hair, fibres, soils, <a href="https://theconversation.com/bacteria-on-shoes-could-help-forensic-teams-catch-suspects-41701">bacteria</a> and pollen. </p>
<p>The reason diatoms are so useful in this regard is that they are so abundant in so many different environments. Microscopic assessment of diatoms found on clothing, footwear and personal belongings have already provided evidence in cases including homicide, serious assault, and serial burglary across Europe and the US. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117992/original/image-20160408-23642-1gnhari.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Diatoms on shoes can give away a suspect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/westmidlandspolice/6773972020/in/photolist-bjAnT3-dJdz1S-qCgm4y-nY5pzn-hj31KR-hj27CY-bHPFHk-hzPo6r-r9b9RZ-7GPis3-pMgyXX-5SZiCM-8PVkyZ-4H2gLk-hj2263-qCgrsj-4QtmY6-qCtATD-4hRb3r-9kSLvX-5ZNUEx-7Vtaxz-5US5tz-oDjwzF-s7WbdG-eRbtqA-dwTc3g-898Gq-7UDraF-4VioBQ-5MW23a-7QmxPC-5NFew1-a6BM2e-aEG2Rk-cZn9dU-2Wb5EV-7sYu4W-4fy9Je-6tH7Se-r9SfTh-7nbWYA-4Jcmea-bLTMuB-hj2ZNv-rwYk21-rzagKy-q3qrd8-rza3Jc-6RJ42x">West Midlands Police/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For example, in 1996, a female victim was recovered from the Hudson River, in the US. A post-mortem revealed that she had been drugged and strangled, before being <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v4dGYEDCZaEC&dq=Forensic+Diatomology+and+Drowning&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGvrre0obMAhVHDxoKHZGaC6oQ6AEIHDAA">drowned in the river</a>. Diatoms recovered from the victim’s bone marrow were different from the water supply at her home but could not be ruled out from the scene of the crime. During the investigation, diatoms collected from the suspect’s wallet and shoes provided a link to the drowning site, helping to solve the case.</p>
<p>However, despite this initial success in case work, there are relatively few forensic diatom experts worldwide. As a result, diatoms are less frequently studied as trace evidence than pollen and soils, for example. To fully realise their potential in forensic science, more research will be needed.</p>
<p>It is important to know how to collect any adhered diatom evidence from clothing, for example. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073814002096">Research has investigated</a> the exact mechanisms by which diatoms stick to cotton clothing – in both water and soil – and how to get them off so that they can be used as evidence. The results highlighted that treating clothing with <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/hydrogen_peroxide">hydrogen peroxide</a> was effective. If the diatoms are not isolated in this way, other biological material on the fabric – such as other algae or pollen – can make it hard to properly identify them under a microscope.</p>
<p>The field of diatom analysis in forensic science is very much emerging and has considerable potential for further research and application in case work. The stakes are high. Aquatic systems are complex and notoriously difficult for forensic scientists to analyse, so using diatoms as a reliable tool would have a huge impact for crime scene investigation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/57407/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirstie R Scott receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the UK through the Security Science Doctoral Research Training Centre (UCL SECReT) based at University College London.</span></em></p>We are only just starting to understand the potential of microscopic algae as forensic evidence.Kirstie R Scott, PhD Candidate in Environmental Forensics, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/416722015-05-13T01:12:52Z2015-05-13T01:12:52ZPushed offshore, the ‘boat people’ crisis demands regional response<p>In recent days, some <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32686328">2000 refugees and migrants</a> from Bangladesh and Myanmar have come ashore in Aceh, Indonesia, and Langkawi, across the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. Thousands more are <a href="http://www.dw.de/iom-up-to-8000-rohingya-and-bangladeshi-migrants-stranded-at-sea/a-18445317">feared stranded</a> on the high seas.</p>
<p>A maritime crisis has been brewing in the waters of the Bay of Bengal for some years now, but it was rarely reported. All eyes have been on the “boat people” <a href="https://theconversation.com/shaping-2015-the-boats-have-stopped-now-the-real-work-begins-in-immigration-36351">arriving on Australia’s doorstep</a> and more recently on those <a href="https://theconversation.com/frontex-cant-solve-the-mediterranean-migration-crisis-on-its-own-heres-why-40606">making it to Europe</a> across the Mediterranean.</p>
<h2>Why are people risking their lives at sea?</h2>
<p>What is driving these people to pay what are, for them, astronomical fees for passage on often unseaworthy vessels?</p>
<p>Several push – and pull – factors are at play for different groups making the treacherous journey across the sea from Bangladesh to Thailand. The two largest groups at sea presently are Bangladeshis as well as Rohingya from Myanmar. </p>
<p>For the former group, economic reasons prevail with the promise of better-paid work in places like Malaysia. There, migrants, legal and illegal, can make sufficient money to send remittances back home, thus sustaining themselves and their families. This is the hope despite the reality of working one or more jobs in at times hazardous circumstances being quite different. Yet they keep coming in search of a better life for themselves and their families.</p>
<p>For <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23077537">Rohingya</a>, the situation is more complex. There has been a steady stream of irregular migration from their homelands in Myanmar via Bangladesh to Malaysia for more than 20 years. Most Rohingya in Myanmar are considered “resident foreigners” since a <a href="http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/burma/burm005-02.htm">1982 citizenship law</a> effectively made them stateless and left them without recourse to attain citizenship in Myanmar.</p>
<p>The effects have been all-encompassing for Rohingya. They have had their freedom of movement contained, access to education severed, property confiscated and conscripted into forced labour. </p>
<p>In addition sporadic violence, such as the 2012 riots in Rakhine state, further displaced tens of thousands of Rohingya and led to more fleeing across the border to Bangladesh. There, over 30,000 refugees live in refugee camps while 200,000-500,000 remain undocumented, <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/50001ae09.pdf">according to the UNHCR</a>. </p>
<p>With few opportunities to resettle and/or earn a living, many are attracted to Malaysia, which is seen as a middle-income country awash with opportunity. In addition, Malaysia is perceived to be Muslim in character and many Rohingya are disappointed by the lack of support from their co-religionists there.</p>
<p>The sea journey from Bangladesh to Thailand and the onward overland trek through the jungle to Malaysia has been a popular and affordable way for many Rohingya to make it to protection space that has given most a way to survive and some the means to prosper. I recently talked to a family who arrived in Malaysia with nothing only a few years ago. Today they run a neighbourhood grocery store and are able to send all their children to a school, albeit a refugee school that does not offer certificates.</p>
<p>Even mundane normality is a gift and blessing for them and countless others who are ready to make that journey on a boat in the hope of a better future.</p>
<h2>Flow of boats is increasing</h2>
<p>Human trafficking and people’s irregular movement across the sea from Bangladesh and Myanmar to Thailand have picked up pace as the situation in Myanmar becomes more precarious for Rohingya people especially.</p>
<p>They crowd into the boats and endure long times at sea and in jungle camps along the Thai-Malaysia border. These have made headlines recently for the horrors of <a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/549355/suspected-migrant-graveyard-discovered-in-songkhla">slave labour, extortion and death</a>.</p>
<p>Refugees I have interviewed in Malaysia told me of the cramped and desolate conditions on the boats ferrying them across the Bay of Bengal. One Rohingya refugee spent three weeks on the boat. </p>
<p>They were kept inside the hull of the boat so as not to draw attention to the boat masquerading as a fishing trawler. They were given minimal provisions of food and had to drink seawater for most of the journey. The traffickers had told them they did not want the boat to get messy – i.e. inundated with people’s waste – but at the same time they restricted access to the deck area. </p>
<p>The hardest thing, many told me, was not knowing where they were or what was going to happen next.</p>
<h2>Lives depend on a regional solution</h2>
<p>The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has <a href="http://www.mizzima.com/news-international/iom-calls-se-asia-rescue-thousands-migrants-stranded-sea">appealed to Southeast Asian governments</a> to assist refugees and migrants still at sea and rescue them. The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have remained silent on their rescue efforts. </p>
<p>In the Bay of Bengal there have been many reports of push-backs and tow-backs, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-13/thai-navy-rohingya-refugees/4751896">especially by the Thai navy</a>. One report even claimed the <a href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/13/thailand-fleeing-rohingya-shot-sea-navy">Thai navy shot at Rohingyas</a> arriving by boat. These crude attempts to stem the flow of boats have been unsuccessful.</p>
<p>At the heart of the issue remains the Myanmar government’s approach to minorities in its country. It is by far the largest contributor to refugee flows in the region. </p>
<p>ASEAN and the regional powers, including Australia and the United States, have to take on a more vocal role to secure the rights of displaced people and work together towards a <a href="https://theconversation.com/asylum-solutions-we-need-a-regional-refugee-compact-16815">regional solution</a>. A one-day <a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/559203/summit-on-migrant-crisis-set-for-may-29">special meeting set for May 29</a> in Thailand is a good first step. Myanmar is opening up and reforming, but without proper recognition of its minorities and a durable solution to hundreds of thousands of displaced people from Myanmar the boats will keep coming.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/41672/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gerhard Hoffstaedter receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Australia may have ‘stopped the boats’ but the tragedy of people drowning at sea continues to our north and is getting worse. A regional solution to the refugee crisis is urgently needed.Gerhard Hoffstaedter, Senior Research fellow (DECRA) in Anthropology, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/407552015-04-27T19:49:02Z2015-04-27T19:49:02ZSomething vital is missing from EU’s 10-point plan to stop deaths at sea<p>The unprecedented loss of life in the Mediterranean in recent weeks has forced European leaders to confront the crisis of deaths at sea. But will they take a fresh look at their governments’ own role in producing these fatalities? Or will they persist with a failed approach that projects responsibility for deaths exclusively onto people smugglers?</p>
<p>Announcing the European Union’s emergency <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4813_en.htm">10-point plan</a>, foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that avoiding migrant deaths in the Mediterranean was a moral obligation of the EU. However, this moral awakening seems not to have prompted any genuine soul searching that could provide new thinking about the ongoing calamity.</p>
<p>Consistently defining the problem of deaths at sea in terms of people smuggling, and its more sinister counterpart of human trafficking, is politically expedient for governments. It provides an analysis that seems self-evident. It supplies a visible and easily reviled culprit. </p>
<p>Most of all, this approach deflects attention away from earlier stages of the migratory process where offshore border controls established by these same governments have already done their work by denying access to regulated modes of travel for those who need it most.</p>
<h2>People in need of help left with few options</h2>
<p>Missing from the 10-point plan is any indication that European governments will reflect critically on how their own policies are fuelling demand for unsafe modes of travel. These are effectively channelling people to their deaths. </p>
<p>If European leaders were serious about preventing deaths they would insert an 11th point in their plan: “Reduce the demand for irregular modes of travel by dismantling the invisible barriers we have created to accessing safe, legally regulated cross-border transport.”</p>
<p>The world’s attention is understandably focused on the dramatic endgame of these migratory struggles through the visible spectacle of sinkings, rescues, military interdictions, detentions and arrests. However, the real work of border control is carried on in ways that are <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2549660">relatively invisible</a> and seemingly innocuous.</p>
<p>The advent of information technology has enabled technologically advanced governments to extend their border controls beyond their own territories. They have created a virtual border of risk-based visas and electronic pre-boarding checks. This prevents many “high risk” (aka desperate) people from boarding commercial flights and ferries that are heading their way.</p>
<p>An asylum seeker arriving in Europe in the 1970s or ’80s would have encountered European border officials for the first time when they stepped off a ship or plane, with or without a visa. Today, the virtual border immobilises or redirects most of them long before they get that far. This often has serious consequences for both their immediate safety and their search for long-term security.</p>
<p>Due to the relative invisibility of these pre-emptive measures, sovereignty is effectively being exercised by stealth. This invisible border is therefore an extraordinarily efficient and unaccountable form of power.</p>
<p>By shifting the locations at which travellers are selected for entry or exclusion, the virtual border shapes travel opportunities in powerful ways that may be difficult to track. This has significant implications for people seeking international protection.</p>
<h2>Virtual borders: dehumanised and unaccountable</h2>
<p>The virtual border is an example of new forms of governance that are emerging in the digital age. These operate through networks of information exchange with devastating efficiency and impact. Social theorist <a href="http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/content/50/5/795.full">Pat O’Malley has dubbed</a> these technology-mediated filtering mechanisms “telemetric policing”, as they are emptied of human content and operate at a distance.</p>
<p>He notes that systems of telemetric policing are likely to generate relatively little political resistance. They therefore evade traditional forms of democratic accountability, since the exclusions they enforce are largely invisible, being “buried in the transactions of everyday life”.</p>
<p>In relation to border control, telemetric policing operates through transnational digital networks. These effectively impose a system of global apartheid in relation to mobility. The effects become visible only when individuals seek to challenge their exclusion by evading these controls, often with fatal consequences.</p>
<p>Still, the virtual border is rarely exposed to scrutiny and condemned for the over-reach of sovereignty it represents. This is because the spectre of people smuggling can be invoked to provide a simpler explanation and a more obvious and immediate villain.</p>
<h2>Human rights and root causes neglected</h2>
<p>European <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.migreurop.org%2Farticle2598.html%3Flang%3Den&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHrwam3VKv9vHQIIHD2gr0p2SLoPg">NGOs have implored</a> the European Council to show leadership by opening safe and legal channels of movement. They have expressed their dismay at the persistence of EU governments in maintaining their people-smuggling rhetoric. The <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/nils-mui%C5%BEnieks/crisis-in-mediterranean-europe-must-change-course">EU human rights commissioner has added his voice</a> to calls for the urgent creation of safe migration routes. </p>
<p>The resulting <a href="http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/X2H-Xref-ViewPDF.asp?FileID=21690&lang=en">resolution of the European Council</a> has reiterated the “managed migration” message of strong action against people smuggling alongside burden sharing and attention to root causes. Although it acknowledges that safe routes are needed, it has once again left unexamined the damaging effects of the invisible border and the presumed right of European states to express their sovereignty offshore.</p>
<p>If lives are going to be saved, all factors leading to deaths at sea need to be openly scrutinised. This includes the largely unseen virtual border that fuels the visible problem of irregular travel and sinkings, for which the war on people smugglers is then invoked as the solution.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/40755/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leanne Weber receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Political leaders have a ready culprit in people smugglers for drownings at sea. The problem is that this ignores responsibility for eliminating all other options for these people to avoid harm.Leanne Weber, ARC Future Fellow in Border Policing, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.