With Christmas holidays just around the corner and the weather warming up, Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre today celebrate the launch of Water Safety Week 2017.
Water Safety Week takes place from 4-10 December and is part of the Victorian Government’s ‘Play it Safe by the Water’ campaign. The campaign aims to reduce the number of drownings in Victoria and raise awareness about water safety.
As part of Water Safety Week, Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre will be running a simulated open water program for all students involved in their swim program.
The 25-metre pool will be transformed into a simulated open water environment which allows students to gain knowledge, skill and understanding within a safe and practical setting.
BALC Aquatic Education Team Leader Leanne White says “The simulated open water program is a vital component of our swim program because it provides the skills to be safer in other waterways such as rivers, lakes and the ocean. It challenges students to swim in different water conditions and then think about how they can transfer the skills they have learnt throughout the year to other situations”.
A staggering 291 people drowned in Australia last financial year. Ninety seven drowning deaths occurred in inland waterways including rivers, creeks, streams, lakes and dams. Open water environments can change suddenly and be affected by tides, wind, rain, extreme cold, floods, thunder and lightning.
Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre will also have an extensive water safety display in the pool hall all week and encourages members and patrons to drop in and familiarise themselves with a number of important water safety messages.
