Ed,

This summer we are urging men to ‘Make the Right Call’.

From 2009 to 2019, 2855 people lost their lives to drowning.  An overwhelming 2262 of these people were males.

837 drownings happened in inland waterways and 287 involved alcohol.

We want to highlight to readers that everybody needs to be aware alcohol reduces coordination and can impair a person’s judgement and reaction time when they are in, on or around water.  It also reduces inhibitions and distorts the perception of risk.

Wearing a lifejacket can actually increase a person’s chance of survival by 50%.

Royal Life Saving maintains the National Drowning Database and our research suggests men recreating in our inland waterways in the summer whilst consuming alcohol is a deadly cocktail.  Much more needs to be done to educate men on the risks they may face.

We are asking people ‘Make the Right Call’, to avoid alcohol around water, wear a lifejacket when boating or using water crafts and avoid swimming or recreating alone.

Too many people think ‘it will not happen to me’.  We ask people to look after themselves and their mates.  In the past decade, inland waterways have accounted for nearly 40% of all drowning deaths.  Over 80% of those drownings were males. That’s why it is vital to ‘make the right call’ this summer.

You can get more tips from www.royallifesaving.com.au/maketherightcall

Justin Scarr, CEO

Royal Life Saving Society – Australia