Water safety message takes flight

THE oval at Torquay College acted as a helipad on Tuesday last week when the Victorian Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter landed at about 2pm.

Students waited for the $10 million aircraft (costing $6,000 per hour to run) and its surf rescue passengers to drop in and educate them on the role the service plays in the community.

The visit was timed to reinforce water safety messages before the summer holidays begin.

Life Saving Victoria’s lifesaving support officer Liam O’Callaghan said the purpose of the helicopter visit was to raise awareness of Water Safety Week and encourage students to be safe around water this summer.

He also said the helicopter would visit a school in Portland the following day.

“We are encouraging students to be aware and prepared before they enter the water, be it at the beach, pool, or inland waterways.

“We will be asking students to think about their surroundings and how they can be safe, by reading the safety signs to understand hazards, swimming at beaches patrolled by lifesavers and always swimming with a friend.”

In 2018-19, 56 lives were lost to drowning in Victoria – the worst drowning toll in more than two decades.

There has also been a 46 per cent increase in coastal waterway drownings and a 49 per cent increase in inland waterway drownings in the last 10 years.

The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter patrols Victoria’s coastline year-round and assists in incidents including search and rescue of lost swimmers, shark patrols, beacon location (EPIRB homing), missing boats and fishermen in distress, as well as other incidents as tasked by emergency services.

Mr O’Callaghan said that the service attends about 75-80 incidents each year.