A CAMPAIGN to prevent older adults from drowning has been launched by Life Saving Victoria.
In the last decade, Life Saving Victoria estimates that 131 people aged 65 years and over drowned in Victoria – roughly 34 percent of people aged over 65 that drowned were from multicultural backgrounds. Over-65s made up 27 per cent of all drowning fatalities during the last decade.
The multilingual campaign to reduce drownings was launched last week. Life Saving Victoria head of research, evaluation and insights Dr Bernadette Matthews said it is “an important step forward in supporting 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. “This campaign is aimed at empowering older adults, especially people with multicultural backgrounds, to stay safe in the heat, especially around water.”
The campaign centres around six key concepts: know your limits, be prepared, plan ahead, remember your options, stay calm in the water, and stay hydrated.
Life Saving Victoria’s 2024/2025 drowning report revealed that between 2015/2016 and 2024/2025, there were more drownings on the Mornington Peninsula than in any other part of the state. The Frankston area ranked eighth for drowning deaths.
In the Kingston municipality people aged over 65 were identified as the highest drowning risk (“Report highlights need for drowning education” The Times 17/2/26).
First published in the Frankston Times – 17 February 2026