australia:drowning
how to reduce your chance of drowning on your camping trip
Introduction
drowning is perhaps the most common outdoor activity lethality in Australia
ensure your children are kept safe at all times - keep an eye on them and ensure they wear flotation devices if they cannot swim
Don't be stupid and get injured in the water
diving into water that is too shallow risks fracturing your spine and quadriplegia
falling off cliffs is never a good idea
slipping on wet rocks and hitting your head or breaking your leg as you fall into a river
alcohol is a major factor in falls, injuries and drownings
don't go swimming in crocodile infested waters or in waters prone to lethal stingers
surfing in large waves increases the risk of being dumped headfirst onto the sand or rock bottom
Don't over-estimate your swimming abilities
those over 50 yrs old are most at risk from drowning often as their fitness and swimming abilities have declined with age without them recognising it
alcohol is a major contributor to being overly confident near water
Don't under-estimate water currents
this is particular problem for 4WD drivers who are crossing rivers
it does not take much water depth to cause a vehicle to float downstream
strength of the current is related to both current speed and depth of the water
unseen underwater dangers are an added issue:
many areas have strong currents even in seemingly calm lakes and these are often very cold adding to the risk - if there are warning signs - heed them!
Be on the look out for dangerous currents
at beaches, one should be knowledgeable of the notorious rips, or swim between the flags
on rivers, potentially lethal recirculating turbulent currents can exist at the bottom of waterfalls or weirs in the right conditions
turbulent water full of air has very reduced buoyancy making it hard to stay afloat as you are not lighter than air!
this is compounded in a vertically recirculating current which continuously pushes you down to the bottom of the river
not even a kayak and wearing flotation devices will save you in these conditions
-
Don't turn your back on the waves when on rocks
rock fishing and exploring large rocks where the waves pound has a special risk of unexpected very large, very infrequent rogue waves which are capable of washing you off the rocks into the turbulent sea
these waves are not from tsunamis but rather just a mathematical summation of the many competing wavelets travelling in the ocean
avoid such rocks where these waves may be a risk - especially with an incoming high tide
Know how to get out of a rip
australia/drowning.txt · Last modified: 2021/06/27 18:33 by gary1