Lifesavers Urge Victorians to Stay Water Safe

Life Saving Victoria (LSV) is imploring the community to keep water safety front of mind, after the worst spate of spring drownings in more than 20 years.

Volunteer lifesavers raised the red and yellow flags at Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club to mark the beginning of the 2024-25 summer patrol season, during which Victoria’s 57 lifesaving clubs will mobilise volunteers to patrol our beaches.

The summer patrol season will run from November to April.

This comes after 12 fatal drownings were recorded in Spring alone, the highest number for the season so far since 2001.

“Unintentional entry” into water, including slips, trips and falls has been a key factor in many of these drowning incidents.

Last summer, volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards performed 1,011 rescues, the highest number in 20 years. They also performed a total of 1,593 first-aid interventions and 355,994 preventative actions.

Despite the best efforts of volunteers and paid personnel, 52 people lost their lives to drowning in the 2024-25 financial year, 23 of which were during summer.

LSV CEO Cath Greaves urged the Victorian community to keep themselves, friends and loved ones safe.

“I thank and commend our volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards for their skill, dedication and energy in keeping our community safe in the water,” Ms. Greaves said.

“Water safety is everyone’s responsibility, and I ask you all to do what you can to stay safe when visiting a beach, pool, river, lake or dam. Always swim between the red and yellow flags where possible, keep children supervised at all times, never swim alone and remember to check the conditions before heading into in the water.

“Please also take particular care to avoid unintentional entry incidents. Be aware of slippery or unstable surfaces, be careful around areas like coastal rock platforms and riverbanks, read safety signs and keep a safe distance. It’s also important to check side effects of prescription medication that may affect your balance and judgement.”

Volunteer lifesavers mainly patrol on weekends and public holidays, while paid lifeguards will be on designated beaches during weekdays. For patrol times and locations, go to beachsafe.org.au or download the Beachsafe app.