Sun seafood and safety at Freo boat festival

Fremantle’s Fishing Boat Harbour and Esplanade were brimming with activity last weekend when the Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival sailed into town.

For the three days from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th March, boating enthusiasts and seafood connoisseurs were treated to the best the port town had to offer.

The event, a celebration of all things boating and seafood, showcased the best boat displays in the Harbour and promoted WA’s fresh local produce with unique seafood, premium wines and boutique beverages.

A team from Royal Life Saving WA participated in the event to chat to festivalgoers about water safety and the importance of wearing a lifejacket while boating as part of the ‘Make The Right Call’ awareness campaign supported by the WA Department of Health. 

More than half of all drowning deaths recorded in WA last year were adults aged 45 and over, with 1 in 6 deaths occurring while boating. 

Make The Right Call focuses on key actions to stay safe around the water, including knowing the conditions, wearing a lifejacket and having the skills to respond if something goes wrong.

“People looking to purchase a boat or people with existing boats attend the event, so it’s important to be having these conversations with them,” says Royal Life Saving WA Health Promotion & Research Program Coordinator, Jen Mickle.

“Accidents happen quickly. Wearing a lifejacket while boating doubles a person’s chance of survival once immersed in water,” Jen says.

Boaters were also encouraged to upgrade to modern lifejackets through the Old4New program, which offers a trade-in scheme where people can surrender their old or damaged lifejackets for new self-inflating, slim-fitting styles at a discounted price.

Jen says it was fantastic to see so many conversations being had during the festival about water safety and lifejacket maintenance, with over 500 people visiting the Royal Life Saving booth and 50 lifejackets sold.

To learn more about upgrading your old, damaged or obsolete lifejackets to modern self-inflating styles, visit the link below.