Float to Survive

The Float to Survive campaign was trialled by Randwick and Waverley Councils over the 2022/23 summer in a bid to reduce drowning incidents. The simple message is for people to get onto their back and float if they find themselves in distress while in the water.

By floating, people can conserve their energy and have time to signal for help. The Float to Survive campaign was devised to ensure this uncomplicated safety instruction is easy to recall even in highly stressful circumstances.

The UNSW Beach Safety Research Group was brought in to independently evaluate the pilot campaign, with the aim of understanding its effectiveness - did the public understand it and would they accept it/be able to act on it - and ultimately whether it would be suitable for other areas of Australia.

The evaluation found Float to Survive is an easy to understand and well received water safety message that has public support to be promoted nationally across Australia.

The full report is available on our reports page.