Two weeks of river safety

It’s been a busy two weeks on the Swan River, with Royal Life Saving WA teaming up with Scouts WA, Swan Canoe Club and the Department of Transport to host two Bronze Medallion courses and Old4New lifejacket exchanges.

With the aim of promoting safe aquatic recreation on WA’s rivers, the events taught children and adults alike how to safely enjoy rivers, lakes and dams. With Australian waterways claiming more than 1,000 lives due to drowning in the past 15 years, these events are hugely important!

Royal Life Saving WA is determined to see all West Australians understand how to use our beautiful inland waterways safely, and this includes looking after the Swan and Canning River catchment, which is subject to a variety of pollutants year-round.

We also implemented the Old4New lifejacket exchange at the events. On average, there are five boating-related drowning deaths recorded each year in Western Australia, with the majority of people involved in these incidents not wearing a lifejacket at the time.

Studies have found that wearing a lifejacket doubles a person’s chance of survival once immersed in water. The Old4New program is part of a wider campaign to get people into the habit of putting on a lifejacket each time they go boating.

As part of the initiative, a new inflatable lifejacket, along with educational material, is provided under a trade-in scheme where people can surrender their old, damaged or obsolete lifejacket for a self-inflating, slim-fitting style lifejacket at a discounted price.

To find out more about Respect the River, click here:

To find out more about our Old4New lifejacket exchanges, click here: