By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THIS week Berwick children are being taught that there’s something more important than technique when learning to swim – survival.
As part of Water Safety Week, from 2 to 8 December, teachers from Splash Swim School in Berwick are running additional classes for students which focus on important safety tips when using beaches, rivers, lakes and swimming pools.
The most recent National Drowning Report indicated that children under five accounted for 44 per cent of all pool drowning deaths in Australia last year.
Amy Coleman, marketing and communications manager at Splash, said the swim school had been supporting Safety Week for 15 years and would now also endorse the State Government’s new ‘Play it Safe by the Water’ campaign.
“Parents really appreciate this week and they understand that our education program incorporates safety and not just stroke technique,” she said.
“Without this training, a fun holiday can easily turn tragic.”
As part of the week, Splash will teach its students how to stay afloat when wearing clothes as well as other methods to maintain control when caught under water.
Ms Coleman said Casey’s growing community included many international residents who may not be familiar with water safety.
“We have a very diverse customer base from a cultural perspective. There are many people who may have migrated from countries that might not have water around them,” she said.
“Or people my have not come from a country where they had a pool in every second back yard.”
Splash director Karen Walker said more needed to be done to spread the water safety message and re-iterated her school’s commitment to the State Government’s campaign.
For more information on Splash’s Water Safety classes and Water safety Week, contact 9707 5922.
