F.Y.I.

Emma McKeon joins Nutri-Grain and SLSA in their latest campaign

Emma McKeon will join Australian Ironmen and women in a new campaign by Nutri-Grain and Surf Life Saving Australia that aims to reduce drowning deaths on Australian beaches.

The announcement:

Olympic swimming legend Emma McKeon has thrown her considerable influence behind a new campaign that aims to reduce drowning deaths on Australia’s beaches. Over the past 12 months coastal drowning deaths increased by 13% compared to previous year, with more than 51% of these occurring at unpatrolled beaches as Australians ventured to remote locations during the pandemic.

A new QR code on every Nutri-Grain pack will link to Surf Life Saving Australia’s BeachSafe.org.au website that alerts people to their closest patrolled beach. The timing of the launch coincides with the unofficial start of summer – the school holiday period for all Australian families. Emma will join Nutri-Grain’s celebrated Ironmen and Ironwomen with one important message: “swim between the red and yellow flags.”

“This campaign is so important to me because I come from a really passionate surf lifesaving family with my grandfather, Rick McKeon a founding member of South Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club. Before being focussed on the pool I grew up doing nippers, at my local surf club North Wollongong,” said Olympic Swimming Champion, Emma McKeon.

Aussie waters can be very unpredictable so volunteer surf lifesavers are invaluable. With many people unable to travel overseas this summer, our beautiful coasts will once again be popular. I’m sure people will be travelling to towns that are not only new to them, they will also swim at unfamiliar beaches. If this sounds like your family, the QR code found on Nutri-Grain packs will help you locate the closest patrolled beach to wherever you are holidaying, as well as providing a number of safety tips. Patrolled beaches are the safest, and the statistics prove that.”

On average, Surf Life Saving Australia volunteers have performed over 11,000 rescues and more than 1.3 million patrol hours, however it is the deaths of people swimming at locations more than five kilometres from a surf lifesaving service that worries our volunteer surf lifesavers.

Current Nutri-Grain Ironman Series & Coolangatta Gold Champion Ali Day, before making the move to the Gold Coast to become a professional athlete was a volunteer life saver in Kiama on the NSW south coast said, “It’s frightening to see a 13% increase of drowning deaths over the past twelve months. During the restrictions people have sought out remote and isolated locations, but unfortunately this became a deadly decision for some. These tragedies can be avoided, especially because 51% of coastal drowning deaths occurred as little as 5km away from a patrolled beach. This is a terrific initiative by Kellogg and SLSA to drive more people to the BeachSafe website.”

Ironman Kendrick Louis has seen huge success over his career; a Nutri-Grain Ironman champion eight-time Australian gold medallist and Coolangatta Gold Short Course Champion. The volunteer surf lifesaver from Manly Surf Life Saving Club will return to the Nutri-Grain IronMan Series this year after taking last year off due to injury. First and foremost however, he is reminding swimmers what to do if trouble arises on the beach. “Please swim on patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags – volunteer surf lifesavers are always looking for the safest places to put up the flags for you to swim, away from dangerous rip currents and other hazards. If you swim at other locations you run the risk of not having someone to help you if you get into trouble. As we like to say – ‘if we can’t see you we can’t save you’. If you feel like you’re in trouble, float, wave your hand in the air and a surf lifesaver will come grab you and bring you to shore. That’s why this new QR code app is so good – it takes the risk out of finding the perfect beach.”

Beachgoers can find their nearest patrolled beach by scanning the QR code on the side of the Nutri-Grain pack, featuring Australian Ironman and Ironwoman champions Ali Day and Georgia Miller.

Source: DL Comms media release

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