Water safety education for Pilbara families

With summer on the way water safety needs to be front of mind in communities right across the state. Royal Life Saving WA’s Pilbara Development Officer Lauren Thompson visited Newman recently to share water safety information with children and parents.

Partnering with Gumala, a local organisation that supports Aboriginal people by promoting and providing health and education support, Royal Life Saving WA delivered 10 sessions of splash and play, water safety and keep watch education to young parents who are Gumula clients.

The sessions were held at the Gratwick Aquatic Centre and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Gumala’s Rekinda BinSaad says water safety education is vital for children in the Pilbara. “The importance of the Royal Life water play days are priceless to Gumala. This is a fundamental key to our children's growth and development in terms of water familiarisation and safety. A fun and safe introduction to water in the early years will stick with our children for life. We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Royals.”

The sessions highlighted the Keep Watch program’s four key actions to prevent your child from drowning. These are: supervise, restrict access to water, teach water awareness and learn to resuscitate. It was great to see the parents putting these Keep Watch tips into action during the water play sessions and we’re confident they’ve taken home the skills they need to ensure their children can play safe around water this summer.

You can read more about Royal Life Saving WA’s Keep Watch toddler drowning prevention program at the link below.