Surf Life Saving Australia urges swimmers to ‘draw a line’ and think before swimming
Surf Live Saving Australia is urging swimmers to ‘draw a line’ in the sand and think about any risks and dangers before entering the water.
The new public safety campaign features Australians who have previously been caught in rips, and those who lost loved ones to rips, talking about their experiences.
All those featured walk along a beach with a long wooden stick, drawing a physical line in the sand, before urging Australians to draw a line, think and assess the water before going in.
It ends with a call to stop and check for rips, look for dangers and plan how to stay safe.
The ad urges Australians to stop, look and plan before they enter the ocean
In a release on the SLSA website, Shane Daw, national coastal risk and safety manager, said swimmers should use the ‘Think Line’ and ‘Stop, Look and Have a Plan’, if they are swimming outside of regular beach hours or on un-patrolled beaches.
“Our message to beachgoers is please, swim between the red and yellow flags, it is the area supervised by surf lifesavers and lifeguards who can assist you should something go wrong,” Daw said.
“Rip related drownings and rescues are the number one hazard at the Australian coast. On average, at least 19 people drown per year as a result of rip currents, which is a tragedy as rip-related drownings are largely preventable.”
The advertisement follows the launch of iHeartRadio’s Surf Life Sounds digital radio station a week ago.
Hi,
Great that you are creating more awareness of the dangers of rips,
BUT
your campaign lacks the practical component . Draw a diagram of a rip in the sand in your advert and simply explain it. Make what it looks like clear, so everyone looking at the sea can spot that dangerous, but inviting calm area. That’s not a difficult thing to do. Many people are visual learners, many using our beaches are young, inexperienced in the sea and many don’t have a good understanding of the English language. These are the ones who are dying.
Use your valuable funds on adverts that hit the mark. Please take this on board. You can ask people to look, but if they don’t know what to look for, they cannot see!
I look forward to your response, a diagram on a stand at the beach clearly isn’t enough.
Yours sincerely,
M Kelly
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Everyone knows what a drawn line in the sand looks like, the imagery of a rip needs to become as second nature to everyone to see, as a line drawn in the sand. Spell it out!!! Or draw it out PLEASE !!!, Everyone needs to knows what a rip even looks like….
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I totally agree with the above comments. The advertisement, while professional, misses the point. The number of immigrants losing their lives in the sea is a concern. The actual “line in the sand” is useless to them. Show photos of wave construction etc and tell them what to do IF caught in a rip.
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