No-one’s unsinkable

A staggering four out of five drowning deaths in Victoria have involved men aged 25 to 64 in the past decade – and a new campaign is warning men, they are not unsinkable.

The ‘Unsinkable Guy’ advertising campaign began in December, and features inflatable ‘unsinkable guys’ in ads across TV, radio, print, digital and social media platforms.

Almost a third of all drowning deaths in the state over the past 10 years involved alcohol, another focus of the campaign.

Research shows that men are less likely to heed water safety messages – but Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes, said this was a campaign men needed to pay attention to.

“Nobody is unsinkable – too many Victorians have been lost to water tragedies who could still be with their loved ones today,” she said.

“We’re urging all Victorians to be alert to potential risks around water…but particularly men, who tend to underestimate and misjudge the risks to themselves.”

Ms Symes has also launched a new Victorian Water Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce the risk of drowning at beaches, lakes, rivers, dames, homes, pools, and ponds.

It maps out ways to tackle contributing factors to the growing drowning toll, such as the growing number of people visiting the water, demand for water safety education programs, and education for people using recreational vessels.

There’s been 61 Victorians drowned in 2020 – 21, surpassing a 20-year high of 56 Victorian drownings set in 2018-19.

To view the Water Safety Strategy, visit www.vic.gov.au/victorian-water-safety-strategy.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-03-01/12

in the 1 March 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.