Dont Drown! Learn to swim!

[mick]

I have spoken before of the number of non Australian born people here that go down to the beach to drown each summer.

I think last year was 19 or 21, whos counting. Yesterday a 4 year old drowned on one of my local beaches that would have had 5000 people on it.

When I grew up, everyone was taught to swim. It was part of school. Its still the norm with most of us. However if you are born out of Australia it seems that you have no concept of swimming. Must be a cultural thing.

BTW, the sharks have got about 6 people in the last coupla months. I think 3 got away. Must be hingry those Great Whites. This one was about 6 metres long and spat the 13yo girl out.

I think you can see the size of the bite. Cant say the camera lies with this one. Surfer=Seal/Turtle to a Shark.

[indypartridge]

When I grew up, everyone was taught to swim. It was part of school. Its still the norm with most of us. However if you are born out of Australia it seems that you have no concept of swimming. Must be a cultural thing.

And also perhaps a generational thing? It seems when I was a kid (60's & early 70's) that swimming was a common summertime activity for kids. Now it seems that fewer kids swim, and they swim less often than we did.

[BjornBee]

Ha, Ha, Ha! Good One. I see the irony.

It's like a huge billboard saying "Save Your Life - Learn How To Swim"

Then at the bottom in smaller writing, reading "Brought to you by the disabled attack victims of sharks".

Just messing with you Mick. 

But I must say, starting off telling everyone the importance of learning to swim (which I agree with) followed up by stories and shark attack stats, and highlighted by full blown color pictures, is a bit amusing.

What's next "Learn how to ski - brought to you by the Sony Bono foundation" 

[JP]

Don't remember how we got on the subject exactly but yesterday I was telling my nephew I would not swim in waters that had Great Whites. So what if you have a better chance of getting hit by lightening, I'd rather get hit by lightening.


...JP

[Jerrymac]

To me swimming is staying alive while you're in the water. Don't care for the water much. But I have this above ground swimming pool I take care of every year for the rest of the family. I think it has been two maybe three years since I have gotten in it.  

[KONASDAD]

I was a lifeguard for a few years and know the importance of swimming. Saved a few speople along the way too. I agree, there appears to be more drownings. Maybe its just overexposure from the press and a perception. Maybe the seas are rougher or have more undertow. I was recently in Cabo San Lucas Mexico, and the hotels will not let you swim in the Pacific. Even the locals dont go in so much undertow. Looked so inviting

[mick]

Ah well, I know some of you are interested in sharks, so I couldnt resist!

[irerob]

   I love to swim just not any place I might be considered bait.

[Brian D. Bray]

   I love to swim just not any place I might be considered bait.

That leaves skiing in the Everglades out then, right?  Or how to troll for crocodiles and alligators.

[poka-bee]

Mick, that's why I don't get in the water unless it's a hot tub!  Used to love to swim as a kid, now not at all.  I too am amazed at how many people can't swim, does up my chances of getting to the life raft & gives the sharks something to play with while I float away..   So many parents let their kids near water without life jackets.  Kids can get into trouble in the blink of an eye so unless you are tethered to them watching every second, they need to be jacketed up!  How many times have we heard, I just looked away for a second..he/she was just here a minute ago... That pic just gives me the willies...**shiver**  J

[indypartridge]

Another thought, Mick, is something I learned during my years living in Southern California: knowing how to swim, and knowing how to swim IN THE OCEAN can be quite different. While living there, I often read about vacationers who had come to the beach; rented a boogie board and hit the waves and either drowned or needed rescued. They knew how to swim, but were used to a pond or pool - nice quiet waters. They didn't know how to deal with the crashing surf of an ocean beach with riptides and undertow.