Surf Life Saving and UTAS join forces to expand water safety skills for international students

Tasmanian beach swimming conditions can be a life and death situation, and often difficult for people to navigate, particularly international students. A new program is bridging the gap.

Surf Life Saver Phillipa Lohrey with UTAS student Muthoni Gichu, Surf life saver Willa Johnson, and UTAS student Joao Maria Tapel at Kingston Beach as part of a beach safety program. Picture: Linda Higginson

Muthoni Gichu would not miss a day at the beach for anything.

But despite her love of the water, she still knew she had a way to go in learning the key skills to make her beach trips as safe as possible.

The University of Tasmania student was one of a group of international students to participate in a pilot program teaching water safety skills.

Having already completed one week of intensive pool training, 14 members ventured to Kingston Beach on Sunday for their first training session with Surf Life Savers.

Ms Gichu said it had been a “brilliant week”.

“The team here is amazing,” she said.

“The key thing is safety and not trying to be a hero in the water.”

There have already been a series of incidents involving international students on Australian beaches this summer.

The 2024 Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report found 83 out of 323 drownings were of people born overseas, constituting around 25 per cent.

Surf Life Saver Phillipa Lohrey with UTAS student Muthoni Gichu, Surf life saver Willa Johnson, and UTAS student Joao Maria Tapel at Kingston Beach as part of a beach safety program. Picture: Linda Higginson

Just two weeks prior to the session, Kingston Beach Surf Life Saving vice president Philippa Lohrey said there was also a successful rescue of an international student unfamiliar with the capricious swimming conditions of Tassie beaches.

“We’ve got people who have never swum at a beach before, there is a language barrier as well and information that’s not present in an accessible way for international students,” she said.

“The idea is to be able to show them how to safely go into the water, access information and approach a lifesaver, and what to look out for at the beach.”

But Ms Lohrey said the primary messages of swimming between the flags, and at patrolled beaches remained.

UTAS student engagement head Virginia Mahony said some students had avoided the water due to trauma over past incidents, either involving them or someone they knew.

Ms Mahony said they were hoping the program, which has run for two semesters, led to “really good outcomes”.

“If we are able to help one or two have a bit of education around how to keep safe, that’s the end goal,” she said.

Originally published as Surf Life Saving and UTAS join forces to expand water safety skills for international students