Lifeguard Sarah Lithgow with Verity Bignall by the pool at Bayswater Waves
Lifeguards Run For a Reason
Watch Around Water started here in Western Australia in 2004, following a spate of tragic drowning deaths involving young children at public swimming pools. The program is a partnership between LIWA Aquatics and Royal Life Saving Society WA, in response to a comment from the WA Coroner that “Competent lifeguards acting responsibly should provide an important safety feature, but they are not intended to, and cannot be expected to replace the close supervision of parents which is required for many children.”
The Watch Around Water program has worked hard over the past 12 years to educate parents about their responsibility to supervise their children at public aquatic centres, and not simply see the lifeguards as babysitters. The program has made a significant impact, with no drowning deaths recorded at public aquatic centres in WA for over a decade!
Bayswater Waves Lifeguard and Supervisor Verity Bignell is passionate about ensuring the success of this program continues well into the future, and in order to assist this she has gathered a team together to complete the HBF Run For a Reason later this month.
Verity has been a lifeguard for a number of years, and has seen the impact of the Watch Around Water program in that time. “The children coming to our centre, even those attending swimming lessons, now know they have to wear a wristband, and that parents have a shared responsibility with the lifeguards to supervise their child while they are at the pool. Parents are starting to understand that we as lifeguards are here to supervise and respond in the case of an emergency, not for supervising their child directly.”
Although the program is based around public swimming pools, Verity hopes it also has an impact outside of that environment. “Drowning is such a big issue and I don’t think some parents are fully aware of the risk. Over the recent summer we saw a high number of drowning deaths, especially over on the east coast, in swimming pools – if those parents had visited our pools, seen the supervision requirements and been educated on how to safely supervise their children around the water they could use it at home and maybe we wouldn’t see so many drowning deaths at home pools.”
Verity’s aim is to raise $1000 for the Watch Around Water program through her team's HBF Run For a Reason efforts, and hopes this money can be used in a number of ways. “I’d love to see new strategies developed to engage with the community and educate them about the importance of supervision at public swimming pools - through water safety talks for children, first aid demonstrations for parents, and have-a-go swimming lessons. It would also be great to be able to develop specific campaigns that assist lifeguards to ensure everyone has access to this information, including those from low socio-economic and culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, who are at greater risk of drowning.”
If you would like to support Verity and her team in raising funds for Watch Around Water through the HBF Run For a Reason on the 28th May, please click the link below. Verity is keen to see her goal reached! “This is the first time I have even done the Run For a Reason so it will be a big challenge, but I am passionate about my job, creating a safe place for our community to enjoy and about preventing drowning, which is why is have chosen to raise money for Royal Life Saving and the Watch Around Water program. I’m hoping that people will get behind this great cause and donate to help us raise money for this important program.”