THIS November, Australia’s leading swim school GOswim at Yawa Aquatic Centre has partnered with Bondi Rescue lifeguard Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins for the nation’s largest water safety and learn to swim campaign of the year. The ‘Float to Survive with GOswim’ initiative aims to spread the message on how to stay afloat in emergency aquatic situations ahead of summer, starting with 60,000 GOswim students across Australia.
The campaign comes in response to alarming figures from the 2024 National Drowning Report, which shows drownings have increased by 16% over the past year compared to the 10-year average, with the Mornington Peninsula LGA also experiencing the highest number of drownings across Victoria in 2022-23, reinforcing the need for stronger water safety education across all age groups.
Australian lifeguard and TV personality Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins will deliver this message across the country via a month-long national campaign, visiting aquatic venues in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia to help spread the ‘Float to Survive with GOswim’ message.
Yawa Aquatic Centre has been selected as the only Victorian venue to have an in-venue appearance from Hoppo himself! Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins will be at Yawa on Saturday 16 November from 10am – 2pm. This is a great opportunity for the community to meet the star from Bondi Rescue and be a part of a very special Float to Survive experience.
Additionally, from November 1-30, 250,000 GOswim lessons in almost 80 locations around Australia, including Yawa Aquatic Centre and Pelican Park Recreation Centre will start with five minutes of float training, with a focus on Hoppo’s three-step Float to Survive strategy:
- Reach your head back to keep your mouth above water
- Keep your mouth soft / don’t clench
- Gently rotate your arms and legs in a circle motion
“I’m stoked to have partnered with GOswim to reach tens of thousands of students with this lifesaving message, which is relevant to anyone, in any aquatic situation; whether it is in the surf, creek, river, lake or swimming pool,” Hoppo commented. “In the lead up to summer, this is a water safety skill that is non-negotiable and I’m excited to get out and about across the country to spread this message to help Aussies learn how to stay safe in the water.”
GOswim is a learn to swim program offered by Belgravia Leisure and Swimming Australia, available at 80 venues across Australia, providing over 2.8 million lessons to over 60,000 GOswim members annually. Dan Andrews, Venue Manager at Yawa Aquatic Centre is excited that the Mornington Peninsula community can be a part of this campaign.
“We have over 2500 GOswim students across Yawa and Pelican Park who will benefit from the Float to Survive with GOswim messaging this November. Beyond our students, we are also hoping to spread the word to all Aussies, no matter their age, ability, background or circumstance. Anyone can drown, but no one should and we believe that spreading this message will hands down save lives. We look forward to seeing as many members of the community at Yawa Aquatic Centre on Saturday 16 November to learn about the importance of the Float to Survive campaign.”
Royal Life Saving CEO Justin Scarr highlighted the importance of spreading water safety messages such as learning how to float to everyone, no matter their age or background ahead of summer. “The 2024 National Drowning Report revealed that 92 adults aged 65 or older drowned, the largest number ever, making up 28 per cent of the total drownings for the year. Additionally, 25 per cent of people were born overseas, including refugees, migrants and international students, underscoring the need for water safety skills to be taught to everyone, not just children”. “Simple yet essential skills like floating can mean the difference between life and death when someone is caught in a rip, struggling in a river, or simply out of their depth in a pool” Scarr added.
With summer just around the corner, the campaign is a timely reminder of the importance of water safety, and GOswim and Hoppo are leading the charge to ensure Australians are better prepared for aquatic emergencies.
First published in the Mornington News – 5 November 2024
