SLSNSW Coastal Safety Report 2019

COA S TAL SAFE T Y RE POR T 2019 S U R F L I FE S AV I N G N E W S O U T H WA L E S

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

DROWNING S N A P S H OT

COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS

MALE

FEMALE Location

AT THE BEACH

ROCK/CLIFF

OFFSHORE

AT LEAST 5KM FROM A LIFESAVING SERVICE

Activity

34% SWIMMING

11% FALL

18%

44

ROCK FISHING

7%

ATTEMPTING A RESCUE

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

INTRODUCTION

On behalf of the Board of Surf Life Saving NSW, it is a pleasure to present the 2019 NSW Coastal Safety Report.

As the peak water safety, drowning prevention and rescue organisation, Surf Life Saving NSW remains committed to the vision of zero preventable deaths along our coastline.

The organisation is prepared to take on the challenges this poses and, through a commitment to undertaking evidence-based research as part of the total strategy, we will continue to work towards this objective.

Research into coastal-related deaths is a key focus for Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) to understand where, when and how these incidents occurred. This evidencebased approach to understanding coastal related deaths allows SLSNSW to develop initiatives and preventative measures to minimise incidents in the future.

The statistics in this report show that more people than ever are enjoying recreational water activities on our beautiful coastline. We believe that this edition of the Coastal Safety Report will prove to be a valuable resource for our members, government, sponsors, partners, researchers, water safety agencies, community groups and the media, to inform them about key drowning data and prevention initiatives being undertaken by Surf Life Saving NSW.

In 2018, Surf Life Saving NSW became a gazetted emergency service organisation under the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act. Our frontline services continue to move forward in maintaining a 24/7 response and readiness across the state. Our lifeguards and lifesavers are working more closely with our colleagues in the emergency services sector to build collaborative relationships in order to reduce the coastal drowning toll. Every life lost is one too many.

As lifesavers we pride ourselves on our ability to assess, improve and innovate the ways in which we fulfil our duty of saving lives, both between and beyond the flags. I know that every member of our organisation is committed to playing their part in saving lives and protecting the community against the tragic consequences of coastal drowning deaths in NSW. As an organisation we are committed to creating great Australians, building better communities and continuing our primary mission of saving lives.

I commend this report to you as a vital tool to assist us to understand and reduce drowning deaths along the NSW coastline.

Tragically, we saw a significant increase in coastal drowning deaths during the 2018/19 season. A total of 44 lives were lost.

This represents a 22% increase on last year’s figure and is above the ten-year average of 41. Men continue to be overrepresented in the drowning death statistics, making up 86 percent.

As our summers get hotter and longer, our lifesavers are busier than ever. Almost 13 million beach visitations were recorded in NSW in the 12 months from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. Surf lifesavers and lifeguards carried out 628,539 preventative actions, 17,174 first aid treatments and 4,710 rescues.

Joel Wiseman Director of Lifesaving Surf Life Saving New South Wales

What the figures reinforce for Surf Life Saving NSW is the need for us to push surf safety messages throughout our communities and during patrol duties. We are more focussed than ever on getting safety messages into the community. Furthermore, we are redoubling our efforts to identify innovative lifesaving technologies such as UAVs (drones) and Emergency Response Beacons. We continue to invest in education programs with a particular focus on tourists and CALD communities.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

A C T I V I T Y P A R T I C I P AT I O N C OA S TA L AC T I V I T Y PA R T I C I PA N T S

2019: SWIMMING/WADING

2019: FISHING Rock

Land-based

59%

3.3M

57% 70%

41%

Swimming/ Wading

384K Rock &

1.0M

30% 43%

Land-based

Frequent Occasional

Frequent Occasional

Figure 1

Figure 2

2019: SWIMMING/WADING PARTICIPATION BY FREQUENCY

2019: FISHING PARTICIPATION BY TYPE AND FREQUENCY

2019: WATERCRAFT

2019: SURFING

37%

627K

63%

62%

Surfing

450K

38%

Watercraft

Frequent Occasional

Frequent Occasional

Figure 3

Figure 4

2019: SURFING PARTICIPATION BY FREQUENCY

2019: WATERCRAFT PARTICIPATION BY FREQUENCY

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

A C T I V I T Y P A R T I C I P AT I O N C OA S TA L AC T I V I T Y PA R T I C I PA N T S

2019: SNORKELLING & SCUBA DIVING

2019: BOATING & PWC

67% 68%

Boating

Snorkelling

PWC

Scuba Diving

615K

1.1M Boating &

73% 69%

32% 33%

307K PWC

Snorkelling &

31% 27%

243K Scuba

Frequent Occasional

Frequent Occasional

Figure 5

Figure 6

2019: BOATING AND PWC PARTICIPATION BY FREQUENCY

2019: SNORKELLING AND SCUBA DIVING PARTICIPATION BY FREQUENCY

2% 3%

22%

29% 37%

25%

Visit the coast at least once a week

36%

Overall

25% 25%

45%

Ocean

Rate themselves 45% as beginner ocean swimmers 17% 27%

Once a week Once a month Once a year Less often/never

32%

Beginner Intermediate Advanced Can’t say

Figure 7

Figure 8

2019: COASTAL VISITATION BY NSW RESIDENTS

2019: REPORTED ABILITY TO SWIM IN THE OCEAN COMPARED TO OVERALL

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

A C T I V I T Y P A R T I C I P AT I O N C OA S TA L AC T I V I T Y PA R T I C I PA N T S

Not very or not at all hazardous

17%

Somewhat hazardous

7%

9%

24%

27%

Extremely or very hazardous

20%

28%

16%

16% 28%

36%

64% 46%

49%

50% 61%

47% 47%

61% 27%

34%

20%

26%

Surfing

Watercraft

7% Swimming

48%

46%

Wading

Land-based Fishing

Rock Fishing

33%

Snorkelling

33% 20%

13%

Scuba Diving

PWC

Boating

Figure 9

2019: HOW HAZARDOUS DO AUSTRALIAN ADULTS THINK COASTAL ACTIVITIES ARE? Where data does not total 100%, respondents answered ‘Can’t say’.

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

24%

26%

100 25% 80

19% 33%

37%

30%

60 49%

45%

14%

18%

18%

Swimming/ Wading

Land-based Fishing

Rock Fishing

40 20 0

31% 31% Surfing

33%

51%

51%

17%

17%

Snorkelling

Scuba Diving

55%

37%

60%

30%

26% Watercraft

44%

Figure 10

2019: REPORTED LEVEL OF EXPERTISE BY COASTAL ACTIVITY

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

47%

28%

25%

PWC

Boating

RISK PERCEPTION PE R C E P T I O N S O F T H E C OA S T A N D C OA S TA L AC T I V I T I E S

HAZARDS ARE NOT TOP OF MIND WHEN THINKING OF THE COAST

57%

18% 14% 9%

Beach

Sand, sandy

Water

Surf, surfing

8%

Sea

7%

6%

6%

Relax, relaxation, lifestyle

Swim, swimming

Fish, fishing

6% Sun, sunshine

6% Waves

Figure 11

2019: THINGS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN THINKING OF THE COAST

81% Waves Other marine stingers Rocks / Rocky platforms

OF RESPONDENTS CONSIDER RIP CURRENTS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS OR VERY HAZARDOUS

41%

69%

56% 63%

Crocodiles

65%

Sharks

65%

Sun exposure

65%

Tropical marine stingers

OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS WOULD CONSULT LIFESAVERS &/OR LIFEGUARDS FOR COASTAL SAFTEY INFORMATION

69%

Rip currents

81%

Figure 12

2019: COASTAL FEATURES RATED AS EXTREMELY OR VERY HAZARDOUS BY ALL ADULTS

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

DROWNING AND F ATA L I T Y

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

DROWNING OVERVIEW 2 0 0 4 -19: 15 -Y E A R R E V I E W

Number (n)

0.7

56 49

50 40

Female

49 43

40

39

0.6

49

45

44 39

33

36

33

32

0.4

29

30 20

0.2

Rate (per 100,000 pop.)

Male

60

10 0

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

0.00

Figure 13

2004-19: 15-YEAR TREND OF NEW SOUTH WALES COASTAL DROWNING DEATHS NSW coastal and ocean drowning death numbers and crude drowning rates for 2004-19 are illustrated above. The 2018/19 rate per 100,000 population is 0.55, just below the 15-year average.

Swimming/Wading

Attempting a Rescue

2004-19

2018/19

2004-19

2018/19

14

15

2

3

Boating & PWC

Scuba Diving & Snorkelling

2004-19

2018/19

2004-19

2018/19

6

3

3

4

Watercraft

Land-based Fishing

2004-19

2018/19

2004-19

2018/19

3

<3

1

0

Rock Fishing

Fall & Jump

2004-19

2018/19

2004-19

2018/19

8

8

2

7

Figure 14

2004-19: 15-YEAR AVERAGE COMPARED TO 2018/19 COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS BY ACTIVITY The number of activity types being undertaken when coastal and ocean drowning deaths occur varies over time. In 2018/19, the number of drowning deaths while conducting swimming/wading, scuba diving and snorkelling, falls and jumps, and attempting a rescue were above the 15-year average, while boating and PWC, land-based fishing and watercraft incidents were below the 15-year average. The number of drowning deaths for rock fishing were equal to the 15-year average.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

2 0 0 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19 C O A S TA L & O C E A N D R O W N I N G D E AT H S

9 2 2 4 12 4 5 2

2 7 5 2 2 2

4

2 10 2 2

3 2 2 2

4 3 4

2 2 3 7 3 2 2 3 2 3 4 2 6 7 3 2 4 2 2 2 4 5 14 3 5 6

2

2 3 5 2 4 10 10 2 4 3 3 2 5 4 2 2 13 9 2 2 2 2

3

SYDNEY

25 20 16 6 5 4 4 4 3 2 16 14 14 8 5 3 9 4 3

2

CANBERRA

Lord Howe Island

5 2 2 4

3 3 2

2 2

2

4 2 2

AVERAGE NUMBER

41

AVERAGE FATALITY RATE

Attempting a Rescue Boating and PWC Fall Jump Land-based Fishing Other

0.56

PER 100,000 POPULATION

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Rock Fishing Scuba Diving Snorkelling Swimming/Wading Unknown

COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

4

Watercraft Multiple instances per activity at the same location Capital city

DROWNING OVERVIEW 2 0 0 4 -19: 15 -Y E A R R E V I E W

120

10% 9%

100

8% 80

7% 6%

60

5% 4%

40

3% 2%

20

May

April

March

February

January

December

November

September

August

July

October

0

12-1 am 1-2am 2-3am 3-4am 4-5am 5-6am 6-7am 7-8am 8-9am 9-10am 10-11am 11-12pm 12-1pm 1-2pm 2-3pm 3-4pm 4-5pm 5-6pm 6-7pm 7-8pm 8-9pm 9-10pm 10-11pm 11-12am

0%

June

1%

Figure 15

Figure 16

2004–19: COASTAL AND OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS

BY TIME

2004-19: COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS

BY MONTH

Incident time was known for 80% of cases (n = 495). Most NSW drowning deaths (2004-19) have occurred in the afternoon between 12-5pm.

The highest percentage of coastal and ocean drowning deaths occurred in the month of January (n=101), followed by February (n=72) and December (n=66). Shading denotes seasons.

5% 3% 5%

89% 11%

5% 5%

MALE

7%

7%

FEMALE

YEAR OLD SWIMMERS/ WADERS

34%

Swimming/ Wading 11%

18%

Swimming/Wading Rock Fishing Fall Attempting a Rescue Boating Watercraft Snorkelling Scuba Diving Jump Unknown

Figure 17

KEY DEMOGRAPHICS

20-34

34%

&

2004–19: COASTAL AND OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS

BY ACTIVITY (n=616)

40-59

The majority of coastal and ocean drowning deaths in NSW occurred when swimming/wading (n=209), rock fishing (n=117), boating (n=68) and using watercraft (n=49).

YEAR OLD ROCK FISHERS

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

300 261

Number (n)

200 139 100

66 11

0

Australia

Asia

Europe

9

Oceania

8

North America

4

Africa

Latin America

Figure 18

2004-19: 15-YEAR CONTINENT OF BIRTH OF NSW COASTAL DROWNING DEATHS Continent of birth was known for 81% drowning deaths (n=498). Most victims were born in Australia, followed by Asia then Europe. Asian victims were predominantly born in China (31%, n=43), Korea (14%, n=20) and India (12%, n=17), while European victims were mainly born in the United Kingdom/Ireland (36%, n= 24).

6%

8%

5% 83%

6%

18%

71%

18% Medical

17% Alcohol

2%

&/or Drugs

Injury Medical Medical & Injury None

Alcohol Alcohol & Drugs Drugs None

Figure 19

Figure 20

2004–19: COASTAL AND OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS INVOLVING INJURY &/OR MEDICAL EPISODES

2004–19: COASTAL AND OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS INVOLVING ALCOHOL &/OR DRUGS

Medical episodes and injuries were contributing factors in 28% (n=151) of drowning deaths.

Alcohol and/or drugs were known to contribute to 17% (n=91) drowning deaths.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

C O A S TA L F ATA L I T I E S 2 0 0 4 -19: 15 -Y E A R R E V I E W

C

oastal drowning deaths have long held the focus of water safety research due to the severe, accidental and preventable nature of these incidents. While drowning makes up a major part of coastal fatalities there are a significant proportion of unintentional coastal fatalities which are not drowning-related.

38% 62%

Critically for surf lifesavers, lifeguards and first responders there is no distinguishing between a drowning or other type of coastal fatality. However, until now there had been no research to investigate the number of and differences that may impact to response, training needs and equipment.

New South Wales overall has a higher percentage of drowning deaths compared to other fatalities. However, the impact is still significant with thirty-eight per cent (n=376) of all coastal fatalities (n=992) not drowning-related. This equates to two of every five coastal fatalities being not due to drowning.

Excluding intentional deaths this number changes to twentyfive percent (n=208) of deaths not due to drowning.

Drowning death Coastal fatality 0

1,000km

SCALE

For unintentional fatalities forty per cent (n=83) occurred during the months of summer. Boating and PWC were the highest activity (22%, n=46), followed by swimming and wading (19%, n=40). Fifty-four per cent occurred at a beach location (n=113), while seventeen per cent had alcohol and/or drugs as a contributing factor.

Figure 21

2004-19: NSW PERCENTAGE OF DROWNING DEATHS AND ALL COASTAL FATALITIES

Female Male

0.40

23 20

Number (n)

20 17

16

16 14

15

0.32

14 12

12

15

10

10

0.16

8

7

0.08

5

0.00

0 2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

Figure 22

2004-19: NSW 15-YEAR TREND OF UNINTENTIONAL COASTAL FATALITIES The NSW unintentional coastal fatality numbers and crude rates for 2004-19 are illustrated above. Unintentional coastal fatalities include deaths other than drowning deaths (such as medical incidents, accidents, or marine creature), excluding homicide and self-harm related incidents.

0.24

12

12

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

Rate (per 100,000 pop.)

25

2004-19: KEY DEMOGRAPHICS IN UNINTENTIONAL NSW COASTAL FATALITIES

35 30 25

88% 12%

20 15

MALE

10

May

April

March

February

January

December

November

October

September

August

July

0

June

5

FEMALE

Figure 23

2004-19: NSW UNINTENTIONAL COASTAL FATALITIES

The 55-69 year old males represent 32% of all unintentional deaths.

BY MONTH The highest number of unintentional fatalities occurred in the month of January (n=32), followed by December (n=27) and February (n=24). Sixty per cent occurred outside of the summer months. Shading denotes seasons.

55-69 YEARS OLD MALES

4%

15%

4%

22%

1%

11%

9% 1% 2% 3%

22% Boating & PWC

5% 6%

16%

19%

Boating & PWC Swimming/Wading Watercraft Fall/Jump Non-aquatic Transport Scuba Diving Land-based Fishing Rock Fishing Snorkelling Other Unknown

54% Beach

11%

12%

54%

Beach Rock/Cliff Bay Offshore Port/Marina Pool Public Lake/Pond/Waterhole Jetty River/Creek Unknown

Figure 24

Figure 25

2004â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19: UNINTENTIONAL FATALITIES BY ACTIVITY

2004-19: LOCATION OF NSW UNINTENTIONAL COASTAL FATALITIES

The majority of unintentional coastal fatalities in NSW occurred during boating and PWC (n=46), swimming/wading (n=40), watercraft (n=33), and fall and jump activities (n=11).

SURF LIFE SAVING NEW SOUTH WALES

The majority of unintentional coastal fatalities occurred at a beach (n=113), rock/cliff (n=24) or bay (n=23).

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

NEW SOUTH WALE S OVERVIEW 2 018/19: 1-Y E A R R E V I E W

F

44

or 2018/19, New South Wales has a total of forty-four coastal drowning deaths along with a further twenty-five other coastal fatalities taking the total number of coastal related fatalities to sixty-nine. This means that for every two coastal drowning deaths there was another coastal fatality.

25

DROWNING DEATHS

Sixty-four per cent were coastal drowning deaths for the 2018/19 period, slightly above the fifteen-year average for New South Wales. The summer period was recognised as the deadliest season with twenty coastal drowning deaths (45%).

Males under thirty-nine years of age accounted for almost half of all coastal drowning deaths (n=20) during 2018/19.

Swimming and wading were the highest activity at time of drowning (n=15, 34%), followed by rock fishing (n=8, 19%).

COASTAL FATALITIES

44 0 10

COASTAL

OCEAN

INTENTIONAL

15

UNINTENTIONAL

5 9

AQUATIC

NON AQUATIC

44 | 25 Sydney Canberra

Coastal drowning death Coastal fatality

0

1,000km

SCALE Figure 26

2018/19: NSW COASTAL DROWNING DEATHS AND FATALITIES In 2018/19 there were 44 coastal and ocean drowning deaths and 25 coastal fatalities. Red numbers indicate coastal and ocean drowning deaths per state. Blue numbers indicate coastal fatalities per state.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

1

UNKNOWN

Female Male

1.4

8

1.2

7

1.0

6 0.8

Number (n)

5 4

0.6

3

0.4

2

Rate (per 100,000 pop.)

9

0.2

1 0

0.0 0-4

5-9

10-14 15-19

20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39

40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79

80-84

85+

KEY DEMOGRAPHICS

Figure 27

2018/19: NSW COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS BY AGE AND GENDER (n=44 ) 20-24 year olds represent the highest number of drowning deaths.

The highest rate of drowning death is 1.3 per 100,000 pop., for 75-79 year old age group. Overall, 86% (n=38) of fatalities were male.

20-24

35-39

YEAR OLD MALES

YEAR OLD MALES

7%

8% 3% 3% 4% 5%

34%

5% 8%

34%

Swimming/ Wading 11%

19%

34%

Swimming/Wading Rock Fishing Boating Watercraft Attempting a Rescue Fall Snorkelling Scuba Diving Other Unknown

59% Beach

59%

Beach Rock/Cliff Offshore

Figure 28

Figure 29

2018/19: COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS BY ACTIVITY (n=44)

2018/19: LOCATION OF COASTAL AND OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS (n=44)

The majority of coastal and ocean drowning deaths occurred while swimming/wading (n=15), rockfishing (n=8), or fall related incidents (n=5).

The majority of coastal and ocean drowning deaths occurred at a beach (n=26), rock/cliff (n=15) or an offshore location (n=3).

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

OVERVIEW 2 018/19: 1-Y E A R R E V I E W

8

8

7 6

6

6

Number (n)

5 4 3

4

4 3

3

2

2

2

2

2

2

May

June

1 0

July

August

September

October

November December

January

February

March

April

Figure 30

2018/19: NSW COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS PER MONTH (n=44 ) Of the 44 coastal and ocean drowning deaths, 45% (n=20) happened over the summer months (Dec-Feb).

Dark-red squares indicate the 15-year average drowning deaths per month.

45% 41%

45%

COASTAL DROWNING DEATHS OCCURRED OVER SUMMER 45%

Less than 1km 14%

< 1km 1 - 5km > 5km

Figure 31

2018/19: DISTANCE FROM DROWNING LOCATION TO A LIFESAVING SERVICE (n=44) Twenty individuals (45%) drowned within 1km of the nearest lifesaving service. Eighteen incidents (41%) happened further than 5km from a lifesaving service.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES D O M I N AT E T H E S K I E S

Surf Life Saving NSW’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program expanded exponentially in 2018/19. The organisation ended the season operating at 38 fixed locations and also utilised 12 roving units. Our 50 UAVs place SLSNSW at the forefront of the use of UAV technology anywhere in Australia - if not the southern hemisphere. SLSNSW is now a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) certified and licenced UAV operator, holding a Remote Operators Certificate (ReOC).

To facilitate our UAV program operations, over 350 lifesavers and Australian Lifeguard Service lifeguards were trained in our specially designed two-day program. The program trained our pilots to fly the aircraft and how to identify marine life, rip currents and other hazards facing the beach-going public.

Surf Life Saving New South Wales’ strategic partnership with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has been the foundation of our UAV operations, with well over 7,500 flights for shark surveillance purposes being undertaken over the season.

A particularly notable operation involving UAVs was at the Kiama Blowhole in January 2019. While undertaking shark surveillance, a SLSNSW pilot responded to a call from the State Operations Centre regarding three swimmers in distress at the Blowhole. The SLSNSW UAV pilot was tasked to undertake a fly-over and assisted on-water assets locate the swimmers.

Demonstrating the UAVs search and rescue capability, the UAV pilot was quickly able to determine that there were four swimmers - not the three as had been previously reported.

Sadly, the fourth swimmer was unable to be revived. However, due to the additional capability provided by the UAV, Surf Life Saving was able to access the man sooner giving him a better chance of survival.

Our pilots were able to effect 50 beach closures specifically related to the presence of dangerous species of sharks near swimmers and surfers. Additionally, they were able to monitor other shark species which, while present in the area, did not present a threat to the public. This allowed for a far more targeted and effective mode of surveillance for surf lifesavers and lifeguards and prevented unnecessary beach closures.

During the 2018/19 season Surf Life Saving NSW was able to capitalise on the foundation built with DPI assistance, with Surf Life Saving Services and Westpac providing additional capability with donations of UAVs and additional training to each NSW branch. This allowed us to use UAVs in a roving capacity, including the provision of eight additional UAVs to several specified locations.

As Surf Life Saving NSW’s UAV program has expanded, the myriad benefits of new drone technology have become apparent. Over the past 12 months, our 350 pilots and our 50 UAVs have become indispensable assets in modern surf lifesaving operations. They have helped us expand capability and improve safety along our coastline.

In addition to monitoring dangerous marine life, our unmanned aerial vehicles were used to assist with search and rescue activities They proved invaluable by providing an ‘eye in the sky’ for our water-based Surf Life Saving assets.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

D R O W N I N G D E AT H S R E V I E W O F T R E N D S OV E R T I M E

■ 2018/19 ■ 2014-19 ■ 2009-19 ■ 2004-19

DROWNING DEATH 2018/19

15

2014 - 19

15

2009 - 19

13

SWIMMING/WADING

2004 - 19

14

ROCK FISHING

8

2018/19

8

2014 - 19

8

2009 - 19

8

2004 - 19 3

BOATING & PWC

2018/19

4

2014 - 19

4

2009 - 19

4

2004 - 19

WATERCRAFT

<3

2018/19

3

2014 - 19

3

2009 - 19

3

2004 - 19

4

SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELLING

2018/19

4

2014 - 19

4

2009 - 19 3

2004 - 19 2018/19

7 3

2014 - 19

3

2009 - 19

FALLS & JUMPS

2 3

ATTEMPTED RESCUE

2004 - 19 2018/19

3

2014 - 19

3

2009 - 19

3

2004 - 19 2018/19 2014 - 19 1 2009 - 19

LAND-BASED FISHING

1 2004 - 19

Figure 32

ACTIVITY TRENDS OVER TIME 15 year (2004-19), 10 year (2009-19) and 5 year (2014-19) average numbers of drowning deaths compared with total numbers for 2018/19.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

EMERGENCY RESPONSE BEACONS

Surf Life Saving New South Wales’ new Emergency Response Beacons (ERBs) will be installed at over 35 locations along the NSW coastline over the next four years.

The technologically-advanced units will be permanently installed in drowning blackspot locations. These locations have been informed by the Project Blueprint program. They are equipped with numerous functions including; an audio line to the State Operations Centre (SOC), a video camera to provide visual situational awareness.

These ‘smart’ beacons use cloud technology which allows SurfCom operators at the SLSNSW State Operations Centre (SOC) to remotely activate the camera to monitor emergencies, weather conditions and to use the beacon as a public address system.

The beacons are powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, which ensures they are sustainable and have minimal impact on the environment. It also allows them to be situated in remote areas and not be dependent upon mains power sources. Utilising both solar and wind power ensures operation in all weather conditions.

The permanent ERB design comes after extensive feedback from the temporary Emergency Response Beacon trial in 2017 which tested units in five locations. To date, temporary ERBs have been used in a number of land-based incidents including bluebottle stings and a dislocated knee.

The most significant ERB activation occurred in September 2019, where a surfer at Dreamtime Beach suffered a severe “fin chop”. The ERB, which is located in a poor mobile reception area, was activated by the surfer’s partner enabling an immediate emergency response. The permanent emergency response beacon model allows the units to operate throughout the year, including the winter months, when local lifesaving services and lifeguarding partners aren’t patrolling.

The increasing amount of visual surveillance afforded by the installation of Permanent Emergency Response Beacons along the NSW coastline is a considerable asset to Surf Life Saving operations.

35 locations across NSW over 4yrs

360° video camera SURF LIFE SAVING NEW SOUTH WALES

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

Solar Powered

S U P P O R T O P E R AT I O N S S AV I N G L I V E S B E YO N D T H E F L AG S

With the majority of coastal drowning deaths occurring away from patrolled locations or outside patrol hours, Surf Life Saving is increasingly being called on to provide rescue services and response capability beyond the red and yellow flags.

Surf Life Saving has grown from being a lifesaving service focused on “between the flags” patrolling to a fully integrated emergency operation. This was formally recognised in late 2018 when Surf Life Saving NSW was gazetted an emergency service organisation under the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act. In order to meet the ever-increasing community needs, the SLSNSW Support Operations Group delivers an effective response to coastal incidents and emergencies by enabling an integrated and coordinated support capability to other emergency services, and does this with the support of the NSW Government.

The structure in place means our volunteers have adequate communications infrastructure, equipment, training and support to protect the community and work alongside other emergency services to help prevent fatalities across the NSW coastline and waterways.

Sadly, while 44 people drowned on the NSW coast in 2018/19, surf lifesavers conducted over 3,700 rescues, 196,000 preventative actions and almost 6,800 first aid treatments. In addition to this, the State Operations Centre received 625 requests for assistance from emergency services including the Police and Ambulance.

At the heart of Surf Life Saving’s Support Operations network are our volunteer callout teams at clubs and Branches. Coordinated through a centralised State Operations Centre, lifesaving resources are tasked to respond to callouts and emergencies on a 24/7 basis. A state-wide network of Duty Officers in each Branch provide expert,

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professional coordination of rescue response efforts, including liaison with other emergency services and critical incident debriefing of volunteers and lifesaving personnel.

Outside of hours of the State Operations Centre (SOC), calls are received by a rostered State Duty Officer, who will coordinate rescue responses by tasking the most appropriate lifesaving assets, including club callout volunteers, lifeguards, Branch Duty Officers, rescue helicopters or support operations jetskis.

SLSNSW Support Operations jetski operations provide a rapid response to assist beach patrols and other emergency services units by providing coastal surveillance and search and rescue capability.

Through enhanced rescue funding from the NSW Government, Surf Life Saving NSW was able to provide each of the 11 Branches with two additional jetskis and sleds to boost rescue capacity beyond the flags.

Additionally, each Branch received a dedicated support vehicle fitted out with warning lights, loudspeaker, shark alarm and GPS tracking devices, along with off-road equipment for remote area access to assist Surf Life Saving Duty Officers to respond quickly and effectively to callouts and incidents along the coast Surf Life Saving Duty Officers and Support Operations teams are also being kitted out with personal protective equipment including uniforms, wetsuits, lifejackets and helmets to ensure they are safe when responding to coastal emergencies.

The capacity of Surf Life Saving to work toward reducing drowning deaths along the coast has been given a significant boost through the expansion and better coordination of a dedicated Support Operations network.

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

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COASTAL SAFET Y REPORT 2019

GLOSSARY

Adult For the purpose of this report, adults refer to a person 16 years of age and over.

Advanced Resuscitation Techniques A certification providing the skills and knowledge required to use specialised equipment in the provision of resuscitation in line with the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) guidelines.

ALS Australian Lifeguard Service.

Apply First Aid A certification providing the skills and knowledge required to provide a first aid response to a casualty.

Attempting a Rescue Trying to retrieve a person in distress and deliver them to a place of safety.

AWSC Australian Water Safety Council also Australian Water Safety Conference.

AWSS Australian Water Safety Strategy.

Bay A body of water partially enclosed by land but with a wide mouth, affording access to the sea.

Beach A wave-deposited accumulation of sediment – usually sand, but ranging in size up to boulders deposited between the upper swash limit and wave base.

Blackspot An area with a concentration of coastal/ocean incidents and a high probability/risk of ongoing recurrence.

Boating Using either a powered vessel or sailing boat for pleasure and/or fishing.

Bystander A person who is present at an incident but not part of it initially.

Coastal Describes the foreshore, seabed, coastal water and air space above a large body of water (harbour/bay/inlet), including areas up to 3nm offshore and of which the landward boundary is the line of mean high water, except where that line crosses a river/inlet, the landward boundary at that point shall be the point upstream that is calculated by multiplying the width of the river/ inlet mouth by five. (Adopted from the Resource Management Amendment Act 1993 New Zealand).

COD Cause of death.

Crude drowning rate A comparative rate of drowning to the size of the population in a given area.

Dangerous surf warning An alert issued by the Bureau of Meteorology indicating that surf conditions in an area are unsafe for coastal activities. The warnings are calculated based on wave height, swell direction and swell period and must exceed the predetermined limitations to be in effect.

Drowning The process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid; outcomes are classified as death, morbidity and no morbidity.

Drowning Death A fatal incident arising from the process of respiratory impairment as a result of submersion/immersion in liquid.

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Drugs A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced to the body. The category includes therapeutic, over-the-counter and illicit drugs.

Emergency response An action taken by an SLS entity in response to a call for assistance from an emergency management organisation.

Falls (trips/slips) Events that result in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or other lower level.

Fatality A fatal incident arising from circumstances other than drowning (e.g. medical condition, injury, self-harm, marine creature).

First Aid Assessments and interventions that can be performed by a bystander (or by the victim) with minimal to no equipment.

Fishing The act of attempting to catch fish from anywhere except coastal rock platforms.

Foreign ethnicity Describes an individual who identifies with a cultural group other than Australian based on heritage, language or shared customs. This identification is extrapolated from reported data such as the individuals’ country of birth and the main language spoken at home.

Hazard A source of potential harm.

ILS International Life Saving Federation.

Incident Any unplanned event requiring lifesaving services intervention.

Inland An area that is beyond the line of mean high water or within a landward distance of five times the width of the coastal inlet/ river mouth.

Inshore The coastal water area within 500m of the low tide area of the foreshore.

International Describes an individual who is confirmed to reside overseas and/or is a temporary visitor to Australia.

IRB Inflatable Rescue Boat.

IRD Incident report database. A web-based portal used by SLS services to electronically record incident reports.

Jetty An artificial structure that projects out into the water from land.

JRB Jet Rescue Boat.

Jump(ing) The activity of launching off a cliff, rock platform, pier, jetty. AKA tombstoning (UK/Europe/North America).

Lake An inland body of water surrounded by land.

Lifeguard An individual who undertakes patrols at a beach or another aquatic environment. He/she is typically a salaried member, qualified in public safety and aquatic rescue.

Lifejacket A buoyant or inflatable garment or device designed to keep a person afloat in water and increase their likelihood of survival.

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Lifesaving Service A coordinated group that exists to provide aquatic safety services to the public. This includes Surf Life Saving Clubs, Lifeguards, SurfCom, RWCs, RIBs, JRBs, ORBs, Rescue Helicopters and 4WD units.

Local Government Area (LGA) Also known as local councils, LGAs include cities, town, shires, municipalities or boroughs.

Marina a man-made boat basin having sea walls or breakwaters and offering dockage and other services for water vessels.

Medical For the purpose of this report, medical refers to an aquatic incident that was caused by a medical episode, e.g.a heart attack or epileptic seizure.

NCIS National Coronial Information System.

Non-aquatic fatality Non-aquatic fatalities refer to incidents which have occurred at a coastal location but not in the aquatic environment.

Non-aquatic transport Any form of transport that is not meant for the water such as airplanes, bicycles, and motor vehicles.

Offshore Describes the coastal water area beyond the surf zone and inshore area from 500m to 200nm.

Ocean The seabed, water and air space above the water between 3nm and 12nm (the Australian Territorial Sea) offshore.

ORB Offshore Rescue Boat.

Other An uncommon known activity not otherwise listed (e.g., paragliding, aircraft crash).

Patrol Service undertaken to monitor activities in/around an aquatic environment and respond accordingly through either preventative actions or rescue operations.

Patrol flags Red/yellow horizontally divided flags which are set after performing a risk assessment to determine the most suitable area for swimming. The flags identify a zone for swimming and bodyboarding within a patrolled location.

Patrolled location A location supervised by a lifesaving service.

Preventative action Direct action taken to reduce or eliminate the probability of a specific rescue, first aid or other reportable incident from happening in the future.

PWC Personal water craft, also known as jet ski.

Rescue The retrieval of a person in distress, delivering them to a place of safety and the application of first aid and basic life support as may be required.

Resuscitation Prevention or restoration of life by establishing and maintaining a person’s airway, breathing and circulation.

RIB Rigid-hull inflatable boat.

Rip current A seaward flowing current of water moving through a surf zone.

River A natural stream of water flowing into an ocean, lake or other body of water.

Rock/Cliff A rock platform that may or may not have a high steep face.

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Rock Fishing The act of attempting to catch fish from a coastal rock platform.

Rock shelf A section of rock above or below the water level that projects out from the coast.

RWC Rescue Water Craft.

Scuba Diving Swimming underwater with the aid of scuba equipment for recreational or commercial purposes.

Service season and hours Vary between states due to climatic factors, but in the context of this report, the season is for the period July 2018 to June 2019.

Snorkelling Swimming with a snorkel and face mask. Includes freediving and spearfishing.

SurfCom SLS radio communications centre that assists in managing the communications of lifesaving operations and data collection.

Surf lifesaver An individual who undertakes patrols at a beach or other aquatic environment. He/she is typically a nonsalaried member qualified in public safety and aquatic rescue.

Surf Life Saving Club A SLS affiliated not-for-profit organisation that has volunteer members who provide coastal safety services to the community.

Swimming Moving through water by moving the body or parts of the body.

Territorial seas The seaward limits of Australia’s maritime zones, from the coastline to 12nm from the low tide line.

Total Service Plan An assessment of current and future lifesaving resources, trends, national blackspots and coastal safety issues combined with evidence-based mitigation strategies to address these issues.

Toxicity The degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances is toxic or poisonous to an organism. In the context of this report, toxicity refers to alcohol or drug used by a drowning victim.

Unintentional Fatality Include deaths other than drowning deaths (such as medical incidents, accidents, or marine creature), however for this report exclude homicide and self-harm related incidents.

Wading Walking through water while partially immersed.

Watercraft A piece of non-powered recreational equipment used in water. Examples include surf boards, stand-up paddle boards, boogie boards, windsurfers or kayaks.

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REFERENCE

METHODOLOGY

DROWNING AND FATALITY DATA ANALYSIS

The New South Wales Coastal Safety Report 2019 contains information on the New South Wales community behaviours and attitudes to the coast; and coastal drowning deaths and other fatalities that occurred in New South Wales from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. This information is correct as of 7 August 2019. All care is taken to ensure the statistical information included within this report is correct. However, pending the outcome of ongoing coronial investigations and as SLS state/territory entities update their operational information, this data may be amended. Data in figures may not always add up to 100% due to rounding.

SLSA collects incident data from SurfGuard, the IRD, SurfCom, the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) and by monitoring media reports for coastal and ocean incidents. The information was verified with the assistance of Surf Life Saving New South Wales state office. The following variables are used to match fatal incidents from more than one data source: incident date; location; age; gender; and incident description. The NCIS is considered the ‘gold standard’ when there is a discrepancy in the detail collected from different data sources. Deaths are excluded as a coastal drowning if they are reported as ‘intentional deaths’, they are inland locations, or ‘drowning/ immersion’ is not a contributory factor as noted by the coroner. Coastal incidents that are deemed intentional or not due to drowning/ immersion are logged as coastal fatalities instead. The authors are responsible for the representation of this data in this report.

THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY ANALYSIS Information about community swimming ability, behaviours and attitudes to coastal safety, risk perceptions, safety strategies and rescues was gathered from the SLSA National Coastal Safety Survey. Conducted by Omnipoll Market Research, the latest survey was run online over the period 10 - 23 April 2019.

The study was carried out in compliance with AS-ISO 20252 Market, Social and Opinion Research. To reflect the population distribution, results were post-weighted (on age, gender, geographic strata and education) and projected to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The Australian population aged 16 and above (the reference population for this survey) is 18,712,000.

Data from New South Wales participants was extracted, analysed and presented within this report.

CAPABILITY AND RESCUE ANALYSIS SurfGuard, the Incident Report Database (IRD) and SurfCom management system (SurfCom) are web-based applications and part of a suite of applications that enable members, clubs, branches, state offices and SLSA to enter and access SLS operational (including rescues and first aids), capability (including assets and services), educational and administrative data. Information was extracted from SurfGuard to identify how many rescues were performed by volunteers, lifeguards and lifesaving services during 2018-19; and how many active surf lifesavers and award holders there were during 2018-19.

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DROWNING DATA LIMITATIONS Over years of investigation as part of the NCIS process, some cases are amended prior to their closure, resulting in changes to the classification of cases in our datasets. Therefore, the number of coastal drowning deaths published in this report may be different from annual totals previously reported. In an effort to produce a timely report on our current year’s data we acknowledge that these figures will change. Each year, the changes that occur in the previous year’s report will be made transparent. The data in this current report are not the final figures as 70% of 2018–19 coastal/ocean drowning deaths and 44% of 2018-19 other fatalities reported remain open cases, with 13% of all cases do not yet have a cause of death (COD) listed.

Once NCIS closes a case, SLSA modifies those with unknown intent and those where the cause of death is not drowning, from ‘coastal drowning’ to ‘coastal fatality’. The incidents are included in our annual totals and analysis, and they will remain so until a COD is listed other than drowning/immersion.

SUGGESTED CITATION: Surf Life Saving Australia (2019) New South Wales Coastal Safety Report 2019. SLSA: Sydney.

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REFERENCES • Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019, Australian Demographic Statistic Tables, cat. no. 3101.0, accessed 14 August 2019, https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ DetailsPage/3101.0Dec%202018?OpenDocument#Time • SLSA National Coastal Safety Survey (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Newspoll/Omnipoll Online Omnibus April 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.

• SLSA Annual Reports. © 2019 SURF LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA This publication is copyright. Except as expressly provided in the Copyright Act 1968 and the Copyright Amendment Act 2006, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systems or transmitted by any means (including electronic, mechanical, microcopying, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission from Surf Life Saving Australia.

For enquiries concerning reproduction, contact SLSA on: phone 02 9215 8000; email: info@slsa.asn.au Every attempt has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright, but in some cases this may not have been possible.

Surf Life Saving Australia apologises for any accidental infringements and would welcome any information to redress the situation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SLSA wishes to thank the following people and organisations for their contribution to the National Coastal Safety Report 2019: the Australian Government: Department of Health; National Coronial Information System: Leanne Daking; Omnipoll: Frederic Anne; Surf Life Saving New South Wales: Chris Twine.

This report was compiled by Shane Daw, National Coastal Risk and Safety Manager, Jasmin Lawes, Researcher, Nicole Cooney, Project Coordinator - Public Safety

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DROWNING S N A P S H OT

COASTAL & OCEAN DROWNING DEATHS

MALE

FEMALE Location

AT THE BEACH

ROCK/CLIFF

OFFSHORE

AT LEAST 5KM FROM A LIFESAVING SERVICE

Activity

34% SWIMMING

11% FALL

18%

44

ROCK FISHING

7%

ATTEMPTING A RESCUE

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