NEWS DESK
Drowning a certainty ‘in any given year’ this year – that’s 53 too many. My heart goes out to everyone affected,” she said. The 53 deaths in Victoria were recorded between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022. LSV estimates that during that time, 111 people narrowly avoided a fatal incident. Incorrect life jacket use is proving fatal for swimmers. The report found that 55 per cent of boating-related drowning deaths in the last decade occurred when the person was not wearing a life jacket, A further 23 per cent of people who drowned were not wearing their life jackets correctly. Nathan Hardinge, his five-year-old son, and his nephew spent more than an hour stranded in the waters of Western Port after an accident in 2017. He said that without their life jackets, they may have died. “It’s a chilling thought, but if we didn’t have lifejackets on, we wouldn’t be here today,” he said. “There’s no reason not to wear a lifejacket or have a way to call for help. If you have to learn that the hard way, chances are it will be too late.” Safe Transport Victoria recreational boating safety manager Gareth Johnson has also urged people to wear their life jackets. “There’s a bit of a misconception that lifejackets get in the way, but that simply isn’t the case. There’s a lifejacket for every occasion and modern styles are comfortable and easy to wear,” he said. “A lifejacket is the single most important piece of safety equipment on a recreational vessel, and wearing one while boating isn’t just recommended, it’s legislated.” With Keith Platt
Brodie Cowburn brodie@mpnews.com.au
Soccer club’s team building exercise THE success of the Socceroos in the World Cup is being felt throughout Australia and no more so than at The Den in Bittern. The Den, at Graham Myers Reserve in Hendersons Road, is home to Western Port FC which is running a recruitment campaign in preparation for the 2023 season. The club is open to boys and girls aged six to 16, some of whom are now playing five-a-side games, also in the lead-up to the season and the regular Wednesday night training which starts in February. Club president Jack McCarthy said the club, formerly known as Westernport SC, had been renamed Western Port FC after “struggling” for several years. However, it was able to avoid closing and was now looking forward to a more successful future with a new committee “focusing on getting children engaged in the world's most popular game”.
Founded in 1989 for adult soccer enthusiasts in the Western Port area, the club had gradually expanded to include junior teams. “We pride ourselves on being a family oriented club, catering to players of all skill levels, and emphasising enjoyment of the game above all,” McCarthy said. The new committee was “rebuilding the club to a position of strength and prosperity, so our children, and in the future, their children could continue to play the game we love so much”. “We would love to continue, long into the future, to give kids an avenue to stay fit, have fun and make new friends outside their normal social circles.” An expression-of-interest form can be accessed at: westernportfc.com.au/2023season/ or call 0493 593 665 or email westernportfc@gmail. com for more details.
IN 11 years since 2010, there were 56 drownings recorded on the Mornington Peninsula. Of these deaths, 26 were peninsula residents and mostly males. The statistics are contained in the 2020/21 Victoria Life Saving Drowning Report which says that there is a 99 per cent chance of a drowning on the peninsula in any given year. The report also states that statistcally there is a 96 per cent chance of a peninsula resident drowning in any given year and that males are 4.2 times more likely to drown that females. In neighbouring Frankston, which ranked 11th for the highest number of drownings of Victoria’s 79 local government areas, teenagers and young adults were found to face an increased risk of drowning. The report assessed the trends of drowning statistics in each Victorian local government area over the past decade. It found that in Frankston, swimmers aged between 15 and 24 were at the highest risk of drowning. “This is the second consecutive year that the Victorian drowning toll has bucked what had otherwise been a downward trend. We’re urging Victorians to be vigilant around water to help put an end to drownings and prevent further tragedy,” LSV research and evaluation manager Dr Hannah Calverley said “Despite slightly fewer fatalities than last year’s record-breaking toll of 61, the reality is that 53 lives were lost [statewide] to drowning
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