Passionate Water Safety advocate Laurie Lawrence will be at the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre on Friday 22nd January speaking to swimming teachers, parents and children about the importance of being safe in and around water.
Drowning remains the leading preventable cause of death in children under five nationally. Royal Life Saving Tasmania General Manager, Mel Bush said “Royal Life Saving’s 2015 National Drowning Report shows a marked rise in drowning incidents in children under 5 with a 40% increase in fatalities around the country.”
In 2000, with the support of the Australian Government, the Kids Alive program was launched nationally. At the end of last year with support from the Australian Government and Australia Post, a Kids Alive Water Safety Pack including 4 books, a music CD and DVD was provided free to every early learning centre and swim school in Australia. The pack looks at farm, beach, home and pool water safety messages. This pack builds on highly successful Living with water DVD which goes free to new parents via the new mother bounty bag.
Laurie’s Kids Alive – Do the Five drowning prevention message calls people to action by,
- Fence the pool
- Shut the gate
- Teach your kids to swim – it’s great
- Supervise – watch your mate and
- Learn how to resuscitate
Laurie’s message is firmly aligned to Royal Life Saving’s Keep Watch strategy and as a Royal Life Saving Tasmania, Keep Watch Partner, the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre is the ideal spot for Laurie to promote this vital message to parents and young children.
Laurie, along with his daughter Emma and family will be providing hands on demonstrations as part of the centres School Holiday Program and will be available for interviews on pool deck at 10.00am.