Beach and river safety are under the microscope this summer but a Riverina school teacher believes swimmers are overlooking the “deadliest” areas of all - the backyard.
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Having suffered the death of a family member in 2001, Meg Norrie knows the stark realities of drowning better than anyone.
“When my cousin Nic Fisher was 12, he died of Shallow Water Blackout while swimming in his backyard pool, supervised by four adults,” she said
“He died silently, and no one noticed until it was too late.”
The term ‘Shallow Water Blackout’ is commonly used to describe a loss of consciousness under water caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain following breath-holding.
“The oxygen levels of swimmers can fall to a critically low level and they blackout or faint, instantaneously,” Ms Norrie said.
“It frequently occurs without any warning of its onset and there is only about 2 minutes before brain damage and death occurs.”
According to family members, Nic was “a competent swimmer and water skier” and was “very capable in the water”.
“He was trying to play the ‘deadly game’ to see how long he could hold his breath underwater,” Ms Norrie said.
The Royal Life Saving Society of Australia has notes multiple cases of Shallow Water Blackout and attributes most drownings to voluntary hyperventilation before submerging.
Wagga lifeguard Natalie Wood is aware of the risks posed by Shallow Water Blackout to swimmers of all ages and proficiencies but wants information to be shared more broadly.
“We definitely talk about it and know about it but probably not as much as we should,” she said.
“I’d say it’s fairly common with a lot of people who are training or practicing underwater - they can be the fittest in the pool and still be at risk.”
Education is the number one priority for Ms Norrie, who has taken her campaign to schools in Cootamundra to raise awareness about Shallow Water Blackout and the ‘deadly game’.
The campaign has operated in conjunction with the Fisher family and has prompted the installation of four donated signs at pools across the Cootamundra-Gundagai region.