Two Glenelg drownings prompt crackdown on jetty jumping, reviews of water safety programs
THE drowning of a second teenager at Glenelg beach in just over a week has prompted legislation to crack down on jetty jumping and reviews of water safety programs for migrants and overseas visitors.
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THE drowning of a second teenager at Glenelg beach in just over a week has prompted reviews of both water safety programs for migrants and overseas visitors as well as legislation to crack down on jetty jumping.
Eliase Nimbona, 15, is being remembered as a “good boy” after he drowned while at Glenelg for a birthday party on Monday afternoon.
The Goodwood boy, who immigrated to Australia from the east African nation of Burundi 10 years ago, was unconscious and laying facedown in the water when he was spotted by beachgoers near the jetty shorty after 4.30pm.
A witness has told police he saw Eliase jetty jumping earlier.
Several people, including at least one teenager, jumped into the water and pulled Eliase to the shore while others ran for help, alerting the surf lifesavers.
Paramedics took over and performed CPR however they were unable to save him.
His death came eight days after Indian student Nitisha Negi, 15, drowned near the Glenelg breakwater.
Two 11-year-old boys, also from Burundi, also drowned at the breakwater on New Year’s Day 2016.
The State Government says it will review water safety programs aimed at migrants and overseas visitors in a bid to prevent further tragedies at South Australian beaches.
Emergency Services Minister Chris Picton said the government would liaise with Royal Lifesaving Australia and Surf Life Saving SA to discuss how to better connect with multicultural communities.
“We need to make sure that as many migrant communities as possible are involved in surf education, programs like Vacswim ... to make sure that people do understand the risk and also receive training,” he said.
Mr Picton said the government would also consider whether physically modifying jetties, such as altering steps that jetty-jumpers use to climb back on to jetties, could deter such behaviour.
“We’ll consider all the options that might be available in terms of improving safety on our beaches,” he said.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Zoe Bettison said strengthening legislation to deter jetty jumping would also be considered.
“We will discuss this with the responsible parties about what we have now and what we could do around this situation,” she said.
Surf Life Saving SA chief executive officer Clare Harris called for $500,000 a year in State Government funding to support water safety programs for migrants and overseas visitors.
“We know that 19 per cent of coastal deaths in Australia are visitors from overseas and that a further 12 per cent of South Australian fatalities involved a person who was a migrant to South Australia — that equates to a third of all drownings over the last 10 years,” she said.
“Clearly what we are doing to prevent this over-representation is inadequate.”
Ms Harris said government funding could go towards a range of initiatives including a multi-language awareness campaign, the inclusion of beach safety information in the immigration process and aquatic safety education programs for teen and adult migrants.
Surf Life Saving SA chair Neil Bisset said the organisation was also lobbying Holdfast Bay Council to employ an extra lifeguard to join its existing two paid guards on hot days.
Mr Bisset said Surf Life Saving SA was currently in discussions with the council about this matter.
He also urged people not to jump off jetties.
“You don’t know what the water is doing underneath the (surface),” he said.
“It can be shallow and there’s a high risk of spinal injury (or worse).”
The father of one of the two 11-year-old Burundian boys who drowned at the breakwater on New Year’s Day 2016 agreed greater water safety awareness needed to be taught within migrant communities.
Etienne Ndikuriyo, whose son Frank tragically died, was at the beach after Monday’s tragedy and said “think there needs to be more workshops through the migrant communities and increase the number of number of surf lifeguards”.
Mr Ndikuriyo said he had also seen a number of negative comments on social media about the African community in the aftermath of yesterday’s tragedy.
“It looks like some people think African communities don’t care,” he said.
“What I can tell them is death can happen to anyone.”
Meanwhile Association of the Burundian Community vice-president Felix Birashoboka described Eliase as a “good boy”.
“He was a quiet boy and he didn’t say much,” he said. “It’s very sad — he was too young.”
Mr Birashoboka supported the push for more funding for water safety initiatives within migrant communities.
“That would help because a lot of people don’t know how dangerous the water is,” he said.
“The main problem (is) they don’t know how to swim.”
Holdfast Bay Mayor Stephen Patterson said the council would evaluate the level lifeguard patrolling on the beach.
Donations to help pay for Eliase’s funeral and to support his family can be made online at burundianssa.com.au and at his mycause.com.au page.
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