Lifejackets save lives-but only if they are worn. There is no excuse that will ever be good enough for grieving families left behind after losing a loved one at sea who wasn't wearing a lifejacket and drowned.
That's the message the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) wants all recreational boaters and commercial vessel owners to hear as it launches a safety initiative focused on improving attitudes and safety practices around lifejacket wearing on the water.
Research from Royal Lifesaving Society - Australia and AMSA continue to report drowning deaths involving people going overboard during recreational boating and commercial vessel operations. The majority of people that lose their lives as a result of going overboard are not wearing lifejackets.
"A lifejacket substantially increases your chances of survival if you go overboard suddenly-if you aren't wearing a lifejacket at the point of going overboard, chances are you're not going to have time to put one on," David Marsh, AMSA National Operations Manager - Regions, said.
"That's why it's critical to assess the risks of the activities you're undertaking and the possibility of going overboard. If there's a risk, you should be wearing a lifejacket already. Don't wait until it's too late.
"For commercial vessel operations, it's a legal requirement to conduct a risk-assessment for when lifejackets should be worn, and have written procedures in place to support this."
Over the coming weeks and months AMSA will be pushing this critical message out to recreational boaters and commercial vessel operators in a bid to save more lives.
Mr Marsh said AMSA has heard all the excuses over the years for not wearing lifejackets.
"Unfortunately, the most common excuse for not wearing a lifejacket is that they are uncomfortable to wear. This is not the case as there are different types of lifejackets on the market including slimline options that are specifically designed for free movement," Mr Marsh said.
"There is no reason that is ever going to be good enough for families left behind after preventable drowning tragedies. Overboard situations happen, that's a reality of working and playing on the water. What doesn't have to be a reality is a fatal outcome.
"Assess the risks and wear a lifejacket. At the end of the day everyone has the right to come home safely to their loved ones."
AMSA is the national authority responsible for maritime search and rescue and regulating the safety of commercial vessels in Australia. It's also a member of the Australian and New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group which is a collaborative effort between state, territory and Commonwealth agencies to improve boating safety.
