Best Country Brand for Beach 2006
1. Bahamas (1)
2. Maldives (2)
3. Fiji + (4)
4. Brazil
5. Greece + (8)
6. Australia - (3)
7. Jamaica - (5)
8. Dominican Republic
9. Thailand - (7)
10. Cuba
Pristine beaches, from remote to mainstream
Drowning is a leading cause of tourist deaths Tourists recognised as an ‘at risk’ group
requiring assistance (Australian Water Safety Council)
Poor swimming ability Unfamiliar environment/activities Language barriers Holiday behaviour International review of travellers and water
safety (2006) recommended lifeguard services
Tourist Water Safety
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
16 17 14 7 13 9 816 14 12 6 12 9 7
0 3 2 1 1 0 1
4 11 8 1 7 1 4Females
Males
O/s tourists
Total
Years
Seven-year comparison of Drowning Deaths in QLD
2001 4 Indian (1), Japanese (1), Chinese (1), English (1)
2002 11 Chinese (2), Singaporean (1), English (3), Swiss (1), Japanese (3), South African (1)
2003 8 English (2), Japanese (2), Czech Rep (1), German (1), Fijian (1), Taiwanese (1)
2004 1 German (1)
2005 7 Korean (1), Vietnamese (1), Austrian (1), Irish (1), Singaporean (1), Chinese (1), Asian (1)
2006 3 Japanese (2), Indian (1)
2007 4 Korean (2), English (1), Slovakian (1)
International Drowning Deaths by Nationality
Scuba Diving and Snorkelling Deaths – QLD
35 diving and 23 snorkelling deaths 1998-2005
Majority of deaths involved international visitors – most from English speaking countries
USA (25), GB (10), Australian (9), Germany (3), Netherlands (3), France (2), Japan (2), Canada (1), China (1), Singapore (1), Columbia (1)
Snorkel deaths – cardiac events (15), hypoxic blackout (4), drowning (9), Irukandji envenomation (2)
Dive deaths – cardiac (8), Cerebral arterial gas embolism (6), drowning (4)
Poor dive skills; buddy separation
No standardised databases or consistent sources of information
Web and newspapers provide ‘snapshot’
Third tourist drowning in Phuket in two
days – Sunday 15 July 2007 – 32 year old Saudi (swimming, large wave
engulfed him) Singaporian tourist drowned while swimming
on the same beach the day before A Russian national died while swimming at
another beach on Saturday
Asia Pacific findings
Legal Considerations It is well established that those in charge of beaches
owe a duty of care to swimmers using beaches under their control
The extent to which local authorities and resorts will be held liable for inadequate supervision and warnings is in a state of refinement - Beach Safety and the Law Summit
Enright v Coolum Resort Pty Ltd (2002)
EU Directive on Package Travel
Jones v Sunworld – resorts may have duty of care responsibilities for lagoons
General duties under Workplace Health and Safety
500 m
www.beachsafety.qut.edu.au
ALS performance SLSA Lifeguard Actions during the 2006-2007 season
Lives Saved (Rescues) 2,218
Resuscitations 35
First Aid Treatments 4,406
Stings 6,706
Preventative Actions 255,732
The chance of drowning at a beach protected by lifeguards is estimated to be less than one in 18 million (USLA)
Lifeguards in both public and private settings
Staff education and training (first aid, CPR, defibrillators)
Regular water safety audits and inspections, including signage
Annual accreditations under WHS legislation
A managed ‘serious injury’ database for the Asia Pacific region
Best practice