The selfie is a modern phenomena which can have tragic consequences. Temporary lack of self-awareness and concentration can lead to slips and falls; chasing the perfect selfie can lead people to visit risky locations at hazardous times.

Costa Rica has some of the world's best beaches and is a top-rated global tourist destination. Unfortunately, Costa Rican beaches are also dangerous and drowning among tourists has been a particular problem.

More than two hundred beach safety professionals and researchers from all over the world participated in the 2021 Beach Safety Technology Conference, "an international forum exploring the use and development of technology for ocean lifeguards, beach safety professionals and researchers." The free conference was hosted for free by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Beach Safety Research Group and Smart Beaches.

We reviewed 146 coastal drowning studies from around the world in an attempt to characterise the peer-reviewed scientific literature in the field. This study aimed to identify the key concepts, findings, evidence and gaps in the science in order to help guide future research and inform prevention activities.

Lifeguard data has been used in drowning research since the 1980s, and a few challenges have previously been identified. However, what and how that information is recorded hasn’t been formally examined until now.

Dr. Andrew Schmidt from Lifeguards Without Borders presented preliminary results from the International Lifeguard Data Collection Survey at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention in Durban, South Africa - thanks Andrew!

Back in 2017 at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention in Vancouver, a group of us lifeguard-researcher-nerd types were talking at the International Drowning Researcher’s Alliance (IDRA) meeting.