Australian Lifeguards are well known for possessing a high level of skill along with unparalleled knowledge about accident prevention and response. In Western Australia, lifeguarding is now more important than ever as the number of at-risk groups continue to grow in Western Australia.
Unfortunately, those from at risk groups are greatly overrepresented in Western Australia drowning statistics. At risk communities include those from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) background, disabled or from regional and remote communities.
In the 2021-22 financial year, 33.3% of those involved in fatal drowning were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and of this percentage 77.8% were from non-English speaking backgrounds. Children in regional and remote communities are 1.2 times more likely to drown than those in metro areas and Aboriginal children are 1.3 times more likely to drown than non-Aboriginal children.
Ensuring that there are qualified and highly skilled lifeguards at all possible facilities is crucial to help reduce the level of drowning in Western Australia, as those who are CaLD and swim in pools may not have the essential water skills to swim and survive.
Is your pool lifeguard qualification out of date? Click the link below to re-qualify and make a difference!
