Grateful mum gives back to Torquay SLSC

TORQUAY Surf Life Saving Club has been named the winners of a $5,000 grant awarded for beach safety awareness.

The ‘Stay Safe in Seconds’ campaign encouraged Australians to interact with online games designed to educate players on personal safety in the water.

Participants across the country were able to play games in order to earn competition entries and ultimately nominate their chosen club for the $5,000 grant.

Victorian woman, Renata Tymoszek, achieved the highest individual score earning $5,000 for herself while nominating Torquay SLSC for the club grant.

Ms Tymoszek was delighted to be able to nominate the club after experiencing first-hand the importance of the patrolling surf life savers at Torquay.

“A few years ago, during a rough summer swell, my sons needed the assistance of the surf life savers on patrol that day,” she said.

“The surf life savers did an amazing job of assisting them back to shore safely.”

During the games, players identified hazards while engaging with key safety messages in relation to swimming between the flags, wearing a lifejacket on a watercraft, supervising children around water, avoiding alcohol and drugs when swimming, obeying signs and seeking advice from lifeguards and life savers.

Between December to January participants played up to 16,000 games which created close to 12,000 competition entries.

Torquay club president Tiffany Quinlan said the grant will go towards purchasing an inflatable rescue boat engine lifter that will improve efficiency of patrol teams in crucial moments.

“As a purely volunteer-run club, any donations are always welcome but ones coming in such an unexpected way for doing what we are trained to do is truly gratifying,” she said.

The Stay Safe in Second’s campaign was completed in partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia and DHL Express who have collaborated with one another for more than 18 years to provide grants and safer outcomes for Australians around the water.