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Water safety

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Sebastian Rigley, 12, says Turramurra Public has a school swimming carnival but his family has noticed a difference in attitude to swimming.

In NSW, swimming lessons started in 1880. Now some schools struggle to put a relay team together

After nationwide research showed participation in school swimming carnivals had plunged, experts say a lot of students are missing out on key skills.

  • Julie Power and Frances Howe

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Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett after winning gold and silver in the 400m freestyle at Athens 2004.

The swimming carnival is nearly over and will cost lives

Royal Life Saving Australia said one in four Australian schools had abandoned the annual swimming carnival.

  • The Herald's View
Jackson Teede 11y

School swimming carnivals are dying. It’s putting a generation at risk

One in four schools around Australia have abandoned the annual swimming carnival, research shows, as Royal Life Saving Australia sounds the alarm over safety.

  • Julie Power
If you didn’t go to school, you don’t get to go the pool in Bidyadanga, one of the remote pools in WA found to improve community wellbeing and health.

Disease rates halved, kids in school: Inside the towns where a local pool has changed lives

Children were being hit with ear, nose and throat infections to the point some were going deaf. That all changed.

  • Julie Power
Rottnest Fast Ferries picked up the two men near Hillarys Boat Harbour.

‘Put them back in the water’: Rottnest ferry rescues divers ‘stranded’ by tour boat off WA coast

Two men were allegedly left behind during an organised diving tour, stranded for hours before help arrived.

  • Holly Thompson and Jamie Freestone
Mangyon Zhang, who survived a shark attack at Bundeena last week. 

‘I should be dead’: Sydney shark attack victim thanks rescuers

A woman attacked by a shark in Sydney’s south has described the harrowing moments she was frozen in the water, as she prepares for further surgery in coming days.

  • Carrie Fellner
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Aiden and Hermione Kumar and Sophia Acosta play after their swimming lessons at Blacktown Leisure Centre.

The Sydney areas where pools are buckling under demand

Australia’s public pools are under pressure as growing areas struggle with few facilities and ageing infrastructure takes a toll on council budgets.

  • Julie Power
Ruby with friends Sabrina Santos and Alana Ramshaw enjoy Dawn Fraser Baths.

Sabrina and Alana love their harbour pool. They just want cleaner water

Beachwatch said pollution was unlikely on the public holiday afternoon when the friends had their swim. Yet, Herald testing earlier this month revealed dangerous levels of bacteria on an equally busy hot day.

  • Caitlin Fitzsimmons and Kayla Olaya
Sydney water quality testing

Revealed: Sydney’s cleanest and dirtiest places to swim

How dog poo on the streets is thwarting efforts to clean up Sydney’s harbour and rivers for swimming.

  • Caitlin Fitzsimmons, Nick O'Malley and Alyssa Talakovski
Summer drownings spike on Australia Day and New Years Day.

Drownings spike on Australia’s booziest public holidays

Men aged 65 and over were 17 times more likely to get into fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents than women of the same age.

  • Nicholas Osiowy

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/water-safety-1lzg