Schoolies 2012 – Risk vs Reward

Schoolies time yet again. Gee that year went fast. Congratulations to all School leavers around the country.

Schoolies is just another time for young people to be free, let their hair down, drink alcohol, and undertake other risky behaviours. Just this week many witnessed in the media a young man aged 16 trying to attempt to swim across the mouth of the Maroochydore River and instead the cocky, ignorant an idiot of the young man nearly drowned. He also risked the life of two other people on kayaks and that of the surf lifesaver on a jet ski. Such behaviours are a concern when young people have no disregard or concerns for others around them or their safety. I am of the opinion that maybe Emergency services should bill these young idiots for their time and the high risks. He choose to undertake this risk, he was not in the safe zone of the red and yellow flags and had a blatant disregard for himself and others.

Alcohol, drugs, cocky attitudes added to having swimming skills and a young person's mind is only a formula for a fatality. I apologise to other young people who do have respect in the community, undertake charity work, volunteered to surf lifesaving, help the elderly and are really good people. However there are some, mainly men, who think that they are invincible to the laws of society, have disregard to the community and its people and their own safety. This blog is for you.

There are many teenagers who have been killed tragically through stupidity either by others or through their own actions and these stories need to be told. Drowning is one of the highest causes of death in young people aged 15 to 24 years and sadly most of these people were young men undertaking higher risk behaviours in water. Water and alcohol do not mix . Risky behaviours and water do not mix. Simply in this age group men and water don't mix.

If you are aged between 15 to 24 and are a young man you are at high risk of drowning. Tragedies such as boating accidents, swimming and inland waterways, swimming at night time in unpatrolled areas of the surf and rare occasion the backyard swimming pool. Last year Hannahs Foundation supported many families who have lost their young sons to tragedies in water and are still struggling to find the answers and accept their deaths. Having sat with mothers, fathers, siblings and grandparents at funerals, in their home, these families have been changed forever by the very actions that they educated to their sons but sadly their son never listened. Many of the parents that I tragically speak to are furious, upset, angry, because their sons knew better. Many were great swimmers. This is the hardest part of the young person's death to accept when all they had to do was make a better choice.

There are many aspects of safety that were not taken, forgotten, disregarded that took the lives of these young men. Safety such as WEARING a life jackets in inland waterways whilst boating, not drinking alcohol whilst undertaking a water activity, not diving into shallow water holes without knowing the water itself, not undertaking dares or risks from mates whilst intoxicated the list continues.

There is so much advocacy and public awareness campaigns on hooning, speeding, drinking and driving, texting while driving for young people yet there are no campaigns nationally to educate on the dangers of water. Young people don’t seem to be listening to the other messages either.

Water, risky behaviours add to that cocky attitudes only end in fatalities and this needs to stop. Too many of our young men, with lifelong dreams, girlfriends, futures, are being lost to silliness and a poor choice. Sadly many will no doubt read this and think “pfft, what would she know?”.

Well in fact I know a lot, I am a mother, a mother who has experienced the gut wrenching hole in my heart after losing one of her children. I have witnessed other mothers experience this very hole in the heart too. One that cannot be fixed. The loss of any young person is a tragedy and many mothers are just trying to stop it from happening to their peers through education.

I lecture and wrote the Hannah’s Foundation, Brandi Allen Positive Choices Program back in 2009. Since then over 2000 students have been educated on high risk behaviours. A highlight of this program is being contacted by a young person who says “I didn’t get into the car with my friend, thank you, I remembered what you said, my friend died”. Just saving one person might seem enough but its not. Losing a young person is a tragedy to our community and I beg you all you to just remember Stop, Think, Safety First, RETHINK IT.

STOP! Stop and really THINK, about what you are about to undertake, SAFETY FIRST is what you are about to undertake dangerous? Risky? Will it harm your or your friends? Then if SO, I beg you to RETHINK IT.

There is no reset button on life, once you are dead you are gone forever. A risky behaviour that is fatal is ‘unintentional suicide’.

As part of the Hannah’s Foundation Positive Choices Program for young people a person in the audience is sought to stand. That person is then asked about their siblings and parents and another people in the audience are asked to stand to represent each one. We then look at the extended family and friends and another person representing them will stand. Then we have a representative to form the role of the Ambulance Officers, Fire and Rescue, Life Savers and those bystanders/witnesses at the scene. We then select representatives who are the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital who are also touched by your loss. Then several more are selected to represent the Police Officers who investigate your death.

When I lecture there is a great sense of involvement with the majority of young people volunteering for these roles. The last role that is selected is that of the Police Officers who will attend your parents’ home to tell them of your death. There are no volunteers, there is no laughter, and there is only silence. The school hall is now in deafening silence.

This is a role that my husband as a Police Officer of 27 years over time in General duties (11 years) has unfortunately had to undertake. He recalls telling a young person’s family this very message over 14 times in just one small region in Brisbane alone. He recalls every family, the screams of mum and the disbelief of dad. He is but only one of the selfless Officers in QLD out of 10,000 who will do this every day. COULD you be a policeman? Could you even imagine doing this at work? Many don’t.

I ask you all as young people to think of your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, girlfriends, grandparents and friends, the impact on their lives without you in it.
Think about those selfless Emergency Services Personnel that will have to knock on your parents door and say “Im sorry Mr and Mrs * but your son * has been involved in an accident, I am sorry to inform that your child is dead”.

Imagine reading that last word ‘dead’, the scream from your mother, her legs collapsing, your father’s hands shake uncontrollably and he too collapses on the lounge chair in disbelief that you are gone.

Your siblings are now screaming too, yet two officers are sitting there helpless to do anything but console and then leave for another job, most likely the same or similar to this one.

Think about the Ambulance officers who so desperately will try and save you, knowing that their efforts are going to be futile but persisting all the same because they know that while they continue there is always hope. In many cases when they are making strong efforts to save you, in the back of their mind they are thinking of you, your family and their own and wondering what if?

When you think about your wider circle of friends outside your family, your school friends, sporting clubs and social networking and how much joy and pleasure you get from them and they from you. You may think that you are just one small part of that community but you are a very important to the centre of the community. One decision, one mistake, one error of judgement, one poor choice and that community will implode. By making a smarter choice you then become the centre pillar that holds and supports those around you. If you have ever underestimated your value just reflect back to an occasion where your friends have invited you to an event and someone hasn’t been there. Everybody’s comments is “you should have been there it was the best time”.

Today for many schoolies marks the end of their formal education. Through the coming years you will learn much by experience, make those experiences count and do not make those experiences your last.

Kat Plint can be contacted at Hannahs Foundation 07 5465 2000 or twitter @HFKatPlint

Media responsibility and safety messages

Media Release 2012

Pool drowning media footage sends wrong message


Hannah's Foundation, drowning prevention and awareness and advocacy group are concerned that media messages on recent pool drownings are sending the wrong message.

Andrew Plint, Founding Director and Licensed Pool Safety Inspector (Qld) said “Whilst it is pleasing to see a positive result after what could well have been a tragedy, it is vital to remember that this drowning would not have occurred if adult supervision and a compliant fence was in place.”

Mr Plint said “It is important to remember when articles like this appear in the media to highlight not only what has gone right (CPR) but what has gone wrong. It is through this combination of prevention messages in relation to drownings that we can help prevent further drowning tragedies.”

Kelly Taylor, Jaise’s Law New South Wales campaigner pleaded with Media to be extra careful when showing footage of drowning tragedies even in success stories.

Mrs Taylor said “On 23 October 2012 the New South Wales Parliament passed new laws in regards to the Swimming Pools Act and the footage shown on the media article was clearly in breach of this act”

Mrs Taylor said “Too many tragedies in backyard pools occur when supervision breaks down and a non-compliant pool fence or barrier is in place.  There are many potentially awaiting tragedies however in New South Wales with pools and their barriers that are non-compliant”

“I also want to congratulate the brother of this toddler on his quick thinking and his actions and commencing CPR on his little mate and saving his life.”

Mrs Taylor said “whilst this story may have looked as a feelgood story it is irrevocably painful to those who have not had a successful outcome and calls upon all media both in print and on television to band together and support the messages of supervision and barriers save lives’

She said “Jaise’s Law was passed for a reason and I'd like to see the message ‘Supervise with your eyes, not your ears, you won't hear drowning’™ and  “Don’t let your child drown in a non compliant pool” across all stations because sadly over the past eight weeks there have been deaths in Queensland and Western Australia and two other children on life support currently battling their medical complications caused by falling in a pool with non-compliant barriers”

The New South Wales pool safety campaign urges all media to get behind Hannah's Foundation and support their families and messages that the community in order to save young lives.

Mrs Taylor also calls upon the Minister Don Page MP, The Police Minister Mr Gallacher to urgently respond to the matter of non-compliant pool fences and drownings in non fatals and urges compliance of all pools prior 1992.  Every drowning irrespective of the outcome needs to be investigated by authorities by police and councils to ensure the safety of lives in children is paramount”

“The pool fence that I observed in the media in relation to this story was disturbing,  having lost a child and we can only learn from both this recent successful story and my own in Jaise’s loss to educate the public.  Non compliant pool fences and a breakdown in supervision is fatal”

Mrs Taylor said “I urge any pool owner in New South Wales, who has a young toddler, or has toddler is around them to urgently have their pool fences inspected and have them updated to the current pool safety standards irrespective of when their pool was constructed”

“A pool is a pool and every pool in New South Wales and across Australia requires a fence and every toddler in Australia deserves safety.  Your pool fence is your barrier it is your backup your second set of eyes when yours failed momentarily”

“Please support these messages because drowning tragedies of young children can be prevented with the right messages and the right public education and support.  Aussie kids deserve nothing less” She said.

Always around water:

Supervise every child and swimmer
Ensure Barriers are in place and compliant

For further comment please contact Kelly Taylor and Andrew Plint on 07 5465 2000