Be a Lifesaver this Summer!
With the festive season upon us and holiday makers seeking sunshine and surf, Queensland lifesavers and lifeguards are expecting a busy summer season across Queensland beaches.
As the weather heats up and more people flock to Queensland’s beautiful beaches, volunteer lifesavers and professional lifeguards will be hard at work keeping beachgoers safe.
Last season, SLSQ lifesavers & lifeguards saved 3,101 lives, completed 588,993 preventative actions, and performed 32,996 first aid treatments. Sadly, there were 13 drownings across Queensland beaches last season and 12 of these occurred outside patrol areas and hours.
Our lifesavers and lifeguards undergo extensive training and have access to the best lifesaving equipment however this training and equipment is expensive.
Lifesaving patrols require many pieces of equipment, like inflatable rescue boats which cost approximately $13,000 each, a fully loaded first aid kit at $1,500, and several rescue boards costing $1,000 each and rescue tubes at $100 each.
You can see how the cost to save life quickly adds up. That’s why we need you to ‘help us, help you’ at the beach this summer.
With the support of the Queensland community and the Queensland Government, we’ve recently raised $325,802 to help our 58 surf clubs patrol some of Queensland 6089 kms of mainland coastline.
There is no doubt Queensland has some of the best beaches in the world and this summer we need all beachgoers to do their part to stay safe when enjoying them. A ‘she’ll be right’ attitude won’t save your life, especially with unpredictable surf conditions and weather patterns.
Contrary to popular belief, more Aussies are drowning at Queensland beaches than international visitors. In fact, last season 64 percent of drownings on Queensland beaches were Aussies.
The new SLSQ Be A Lifesaver campaign reminds beachgoers that when it comes to the beach and surf, maybe we need to do better.
Beachgoers are reminded to:
- Be a better example for your children and swim only at patrolled beaches, during patrol hours and always between the red and yellow flags.
- Be the one to look out for your mates and don’t let them swim at night or under the influence.
- Be the beachgoer that talks to the lifesavers and follows their advice, especially if you are unfamiliar with the conditions.
Every little risk you don’t take makes you safer!
SLSQ General Manager Peta Lawlor explained how important it is for beachgoers to follow our surf safety advice so they can enjoy Queensland’s beautiful beaches and then return home to their loved ones at the end of the day.
“Our lifesavers and lifeguards are highly skilled but with unpredictable surf conditions they need beachgoers to do their part to stay safe at the beach,” said Ms Lawlor.
“Based on the findings of the 2022 Coast Safe Report, SLSQ will this summer be targeting our surf safety messages to families with young children, young males aged 20-49 years, and international visitors, as well as educating people on stinger prevention.
“As we spread our surf safety message this summer, we will be reminding beachgoers that ‘She’ll be right won’t save your life – so be a lifesaver and swim between the flags’.”
To find out more about how to stay safe this summer, visit
https://lifesaving.com.au/safety-info
To view the first phase of the Be A Lifesaver! Campaign, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADfiegIloTw