OLDER adults will be warned of the dangers of drowning at the Frankston Seniors Expo this Friday.
Life Saving Victoria is targeting Frankston for drowning education. Between 2015/2016 and 2024/2025, the Frankston area ranked eighth for state-wide drowning deaths, with the Mornington Peninsula ranked first. In the Kingston municipality people aged over 65 were identified as the highest drowning risk (“Report highlights need for drowning education” The News 17/2/26).
LSV estimated that 131 people aged 65 years and over have drowned in Victoria in the last decade, which accounts for 27 per cent of drowning fatalities. Life Saving Victoria head of research, evaluation and insights Dr Bernadette Matthews said “the new campaign is important to help support multicultural older adults to safely enjoy Victoria’s beaches, pools and waterways.”
“Older Victorians from multicultural backgrounds face a range of challenges around water safety and extreme heat. These include language barriers, access to safe aquatic environments and health conditions impacted by extreme heat,” Dr Matthews said. “Multilingual campaign materials will be distributed through a range of organisations including those that support multicultural Victorians and seniors.”
In a statement LSV said that their anti-drowning campaign “implores older people and their support networks to follow a range of simple steps to stay cool and water safe.” LSV urges swimmers to know your limits, be prepared, plan ahead, remember your options, stay calm in the water, and stay hydrated.
First published in the Frankston Times – 5 May 2026