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Each year Royal Life Saving Society Australia produces the National Drowning Report. The research shows that drowning numbers in multicultural communities are disproportionately high, and water safety knowledge is poor.
Michael Masseni, Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at Life Saving Victoria. LSV partners with organisations and schools to deliver swimming programs to CALD groups.
The National Drowning Report also reveals that 80 per cent of drownings are men.
Highlights
- People new to Australia are often unable to recognise the dangers of open water
- Australia is surrounded by coastline and waterways, so learning to swim is essential.
- English for Swimming is another program designed specifically for adults. This program has now assisted many migrants and refugees to gain new skills.
Many unique risk factors contribute to the alarming drowning rates among multicultural communities.
Most Australian-born children have access to school swimming programs and public water safety programs. Most Australians live on the coastline or have access to swimming pools, and view water as both utilitarian and recreational. This is not always the case for our CALD communities.
"On average over the past 10 years around Australia, 35 per cent of all drownings have been people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or migrants.
Men are risk-takers and they overestimated their ability in the water. Most people who just came to the country don't have access to swimming lessons and water safety programs back where they come from." Michael Masseni recalls.
To find out more about learning to swim for life, head to austswim.com.au or royallifesaving.com.au.
