“Literally a second – and in that time my daughter and her friend got into trouble.”
Ironwoman Candice Warner has joined the push to teach families about beach safety following an unprecedented amount of drowning deaths in New South Wales this summer.
And she knows first-hand how quickly danger can strike.
Warner has teamed up with Surf Life Saving Australia to direct beachgoers to BeachSafe, a website that lists the nearest patrolled beaches and swell conditions.
NSW reported over 40 drowning deaths since December 1, with rip currents making up a large portion of coastal deaths.
Warner told 9News.com.au that beach safety is critical to ensure kids stay safe in the water.
“It’s as simple as swim between the red and yellow flags. It’s so important,” she said.
“It means when you’re in the water, when you’re kids are in the water there’s an extra set of eyes looking out for you.
“We had an incident where my daughter went to the beach with a friend and [her friend’s] mother.
“They went to a patrolled beach but they didn’t swim in a patrolled area, she [the mum] turned her head for literally a second, and in that time my daughter and her friend got into trouble and they had to be rescued.
“So for me, it’s making sure everyone knows where to swim. It’s at the start of the day saying ‘this is where to swim, stay out of this area’. It’s about preventing the loss of lives.”
Warner said there are a few simple things parents can do to keep their families safe at the beach.
Establishing an anchor point, like towels or a landmark, is helpful for kids to make sure they are staying within the flags.
“The thing that a lot of kids do is they are looking out at the waves (rather than the shore) and so many times they get drifted outside the flags.
“It’s a good reminder to have a spot that you need to sort of stay in line with, every couple minutes tell your kids to look up and see where they are.
“If you’re away from that spot, just get out of the water and walk back up.”
She also said its important to remember the basics: “White is nice, green is mean.”
“The ocean is there to love, but you also need to respect it,” she said.
“If there’s white water and the waves are breaking, that’s a good place to swim.
“If it’s green that means that water is travelling out to sea, and that’s a rip”
Candice Warner’s tips for staying Beach Safe
- Scan the QR code on the side of any Nutri-Grain box to be directed to the Beachsafe website, which will show you the nearest patrolled beaches.
- Swim between the red and yellow flags.
- If you do get caught in a rip, don’t panic, don’t try to swim against it. Go with the current and signal for help.
- Find an anchor point for kids to stay in line with while in the ocean.
- Remember “White is nice, green is mean”.
- Don’t swim anywhere past your capabilities. If you’re not a strong swimmer stay closer to the shore.
