Beyond drowning: Characteristics, trends, the impact of exposure on unintentional non-drowning coastal fatalities between 2012 and 22.

Objectives: Drowning has been the focus of coastal safety, but a notable proportion of coastal mortality is due to other causes of death. This study describes that burden and quantifies the impact of exposure on Australian unintentional coastal fatalities not due to drowning.

Methods: Analyses of Australian non-drowning coastal fatalities (NDCF) between July 2012 and June 2022 were conducted.

Coastal mortality burden on school holidays 2004-2021: an Australian perspective.

Introduction: School holidays are a known period of increased risk of paediatric drowning. However, the risk of coastal death for all age groups is unknown.

Methods: This case-control study aimed to identify high-risk demographics and behaviours relating to coastal deaths during the school holidays.

Evaluating the impact of skill development for drowning prevention: a relationship-building approach to community engagement.

Objective: Evaluate the impact of a broadened theoretical and empirical model of community engagement aimed at coastal drowning prevention via relationship building between lifeguards and beachgoers through the delivery of skill development sessions on the beach.

Setting: A lifeguard-patrolled beach in Lorne, Victoria, Australia, during the 2023 peak summer holiday season.

Methods: In total, 12 skill development sessions were delivered by teams of lifeguards and risk researchers to beachgoers.

Public holiday and long weekend mortality risk in Australia: A behaviour and usage risk analysis for coastal drowning and other fatalities.

Objective: This article aims to determine the impact of public holidays and long weekends on the risk of drowning and non-drowning deaths on the Australian coast.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study using relative risk ratios and Z-scores to compare all unintentional fatalities on the Australian coast between 2004 and 2021 to a longitudinal representative survey sample of the Australian public and their coastal usage.

Results: Overall, the coastal mortality risk increased by 2.

A preliminary study investigating the neglected domain of mental health in Australian lifesavers and lifeguards.

Background: Surf lifesavers and lifeguards have provided essential education, preventative, and rescue services to the Australian community for over 110 years. In this first responder role, surf lifesavers and lifeguards are inadvertently exposed to high risk and trauma related experiences, which may negatively impact mental well-being. To date however, there has been limited research into the mental health of surf lifesavers and lifeguards, and no studies at all on the mental health of adolescent surf lifesavers.

Preliminary evaluation of the impact of mandatory life jacket laws at declared high-risk rock platforms on unintentional rock fishing drowning deaths.

Objectives: To explore the impact of mandatory lifejacket wear legislation on unintentional rock fishing-related drowning fatalities at declared high-risk rock platforms in New South Wales (NSW; Australia).

Methods: Rock fishing-related drownings for the five years pre-legislation enactment (23 November 2011 to 22 November 2016) and five years post-legislation enactment (23 November 2016 to 22 November 2021) were compared. Google Earth was used to assess if drowning deaths occurred at declared areas under legislation.

The role of alcohol and drug intoxication in fatal drowning and other deaths that occur on the Australian coast.

Introduction: Alcohol and drug (illicit or prescription) intoxication impairs motor skills, coordination, decision making abilities, hazard perception, and is known to increase the risk of death in coastal environments. Prior coastal safety research has focused largely on the impact of alcohol on drowning, with less research on the influence of drugs and leaving a significant number of other non-drowning fatalities largely excluded, despite being preventable with mitigation of injuries or medical factors.

Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study explored the impact of alcohol and drugs on unintentional Australian drowning deaths and other coastal fatalities over a 16-year period to identify higher-risk populations and coastal activity groups for which alcohol/drug use is increased.

Understanding a population: A methodology for a population-based coastal safety survey.

Drowning is a global public health problem, but accurately estimating drowning risk remains a challenge. Coastal drowning comprises a significant proportion of the drowning burden in Australia and is influenced by a range of behavioural factors (e.g.

When Natural Hazards Intersect with Public Health: A Preliminary Exploration of the Impact of Bushfires and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Australian Coastal Drowning Fatalities.

Natural hazards combined with the COVID-19 pandemic have had significant global impacts to the community and the environment. This study explores the impact of the Australian 2019/20 bushfires followed by the COVID-19 pandemic on unintentional coastal drowning fatalities. Fatality data were collated using triangulation methodology.

Forgotten first responders: Australian surf lifesavers and lifeguards.

First responders often face traumatic and emotionally-taxing incidents in their role. Understanding their mental health and coping capacity is important for wellbeing and continued service delivery. Surf lifesavers and lifeguards are an under researched yet a vital part of the first responder workforce.

Risky business: a 15-year analysis of fatal coastal drowning of young male adults in Australia.

Introduction: Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death, especially for males. In Australian coastal waters, young male adults account for 25% of the burden of male drowning. This study aims to describe young male coastal drowning deaths and to examine the prevalence of risk factors, especially alcohol and drugs.

Dying to help: Fatal bystander rescues in Australian coastal environments.

Bystanders who drown during a rescue attempt in aquatic waterways are becoming an increasingly important issue within drowning prevention. In the Australian context, the majority of these incidents occur in coastal water ways. This study documents and characterizes bystander rescuer fatalities within Australian coastal waterways that occurred between 1 July 2004 and 30 June 2019 in order to provide suggestions for future public safety interventions involving bystander rescuers.

Characteristics of aquatic rescues undertaken by bystanders in Australia.

An issue of growing importance within the field of drowning prevention is the undertaking of aquatic rescues by bystanders, who sometimes drown in the process. The main objectives of this study were to describe characteristics of bystanders making rescues in different Australian aquatic environments, identify the role of prior water safety training in conducting bystander rescues and provide insights into future public education strategies relating to bystander rescue scenarios. An online survey was disseminated via various social media platforms in 2017 and gathered a total of 243 complete responses.