The Beach Safety Research Group regularly publishes academic articles with our most recent research findings.
Wherever possible, research is made Open Access. If you cannot access one of our research articles, please contact us.
2024 Publications
Beyond drowning: Characteristics, trends, the impact of exposure on unintentional non-drowning coastal fatalities between 2012 and 22
This epidemiological analysis is the first to explore the burden and trends in unintentional coastal fatalities, beyond those attributed to drowning and suicide.
Published March 2024; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Is further investment in shark management in New South Wales worthwhile? Surfer views on coastal public health issues
Findings indicate surfers are more supportive of investment in ocean cleanliness and drowning prevention measures.
Published February 2024; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
The role of surfers in beach safety management: Insights from French respondents to a global surfer survey
Our study shows that surfers make a major contribution to beach safety in France by acting as bystander rescuers.
Published February 2024; Ocean & Coastal Management
Likes, comments, and emergency responses: exploring the burden of social media tourism on land managers and the need for risk communication
The current study suggests a need for direct digital health and safety messaging to social media users, underscoring the necessity to develop co-designed online strategies.
Published March 2024; Health Literacy and Communication Open
What is a shore dump?: Exploring Australian university students’ beach safety knowledge and their perceptions of Australian beach safety signage
Existing beach safety signage is not as effective as authorities assume due to linguistic and translation challenges.
Published February 2024; Safety Science
2023 Publications
Dr Rip’s Essential Beach Book;
everything you need to know about surf, sand and rips
Australia’s best-known surf scientist, Rob ‘Dr Rip’ Brander, takes you on a fascinating and entertaining journey to uncover how our beaches form and behave, the science of waves and currents, how beaches respond to storms and climate change, as well as some of the hazards to watch out for
Published 2023; UNSW Press Ltd
Environmental controls on lifeguard-estimated surf-zone hazards, beach crowds, and resulting life risk at a high-energy sandy beach in southwest France
This study shows that lifeguards can be a valuable source of data to improve understanding of the environmental controls on beach crowd, surf zone hazards and life risk at the beach.
Published October 2023; Natural Hazards
Burden of fatal drowning in California, 2005–2019
These divergences from national data underscore the need for state and regional level analyses to inform drowning prevention policy, programmes and research.
Published September 2023; Injury Prevention
Short-term dynamics of a high energy embayed beach: Stanwell Park, NSW, Australia
This study provides a clear demonstration of the sensitivity of embayed beaches to short-term variability in wave climate.
Published February 2023; Ocean Coast. Res. 71
Impact of a surfer rescue training program in Australia and New Zealand:
a mixed methods evaluation
The Surfer Rescue 24/7 program is a coastal safety intervention in Australia and New Zealand that teaches surfers safe rescue skills and promotes prevention activities.
Published November 2023; BMC Public Health
Evaluating the impact of skill development for drowning prevention: a relationship-building approach to community engagement
Supporting lifeguards and life-savers to provide skill development expands the ways that life-saving services can engage the public, including measurement of lifeguards’ contributions to coastal drowning prevention.
Published September 2023; Injury Prevention
Lessons learned through the 20-year development of a national fatal drowning database in Australia
Creating and maintaining high quality databases such as the NFDD, require a rigorous approach to case identification, validation and coding, as well as significant and ongoing resourcing.
Published August 2023; BMC Public Health
Driving an agenda for preventing drowning in the Western Pacific region
Drowning remains a neglected yet multisectoral issue, that spans the diverse Western Pacific region. Formalised, multisectoral partnerships are central to cooperative drowning prevention.
Published July 2023; The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
The risks of using ChatGPT to obtain common safety-related information and advice
The study highlights the need for caution when using ChatGPT for safety-related information and expert verification.
Published June 2023; Safety Science
‘I actually thought that I was going to die’: Lessons on the rip current hazard from survivor experiences
Being caught in a rip current can be an intense and traumatic experience. Lessons learned from survivors have significant implications for improving existing and future rip current education efforts.
Published August 2023; Health Promotion Journal of Australia
The characteristics of drowning among different types of international visitors to Australia and how this contributes to their drowning risk
International visitors represent a small but increasing proportion of people drowning in Australia. The circumstances of which visitors drown vary by travel purpose, age, country of origin, location of drowning and activity.
Published June 2023; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Relationships between the tide and fatal drowning at surf beaches in New South Wales, Australia: Implications for coastal safety management and practice
This study establishes that statistical associations exist between some tidal variables and the occurrence of fatal drowning along surf beaches in New South Wales, Australia
Published May 2023; Ocean & Coastal Management
Mortality trends and the impact of exposure on Australian coastal drowning deaths, 2004–2021
Men, older people and residents of lower socio-economic and remote areas had higher drowning rates; rock fishing and scuba diving had the highest activity exposure-based rates.
Published April 2023; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
The effect of the ‘Swim Reaper’ program on water safety awareness, drowning mortality and morbidity among males aged 15–34 years in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Using a unique, humor-based approach the Swim Reaper program appears to be having some impact on self-reported water safety behaviors, as well as unintentional drowning-related hospitalization rates.
Published November 2023; Journal of Safety Research
Examining the relationship between heatwaves and fatal drowning: a case study from Queensland, Australia
Water safety and patrolling organisations, as well as first responders, need to prepare for more drowning deaths during heatwave conditions.
Published September 2023; Injury Prevention
Preventing selfie-related incidents: taking a public health approach to reduce unnecessary burden on emergency medicine services
Selfie-related injuries and deaths may be a relatively new phenomenon, but data suggest they are a public health hazard that is not going away.
Published April 2023; Emergency Medicine Australasia
Weather-Related Fatalities in Australia between 2006 and 2019: Applying an Equity Lens
This study has identified those at increased risk of weather-related disaster death, including people of older age, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and residents of Very Remote areas.
Published January 2023; Sustainabilty
Should land managers be doing more to avert social media-related injuries and fatalities at tourism hotspots?
There is an urgent need for collaboration and innovation between the research and technological sectors and land management agencies.
Published August 2023; Current Issues in Tourism
Exploring Flood Response Challenges, Training Needs, and the Impact of Online Flood Training for Lifeguards and Water Safety Professionals in South Africa
Lifesaving personnel may represent an additional asset in flood mitigation and response, particularly in resource poor settings.
Published August 2023; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
A systematic review of the evidence for effectiveness of interventions to address transport and other unintentional injuries among adolescents
This review provides evidence to support investment in effective adolescent injury prevention interventions.
Published June 2023; Journal of Safety Research
The epidemiology, risk factors and impact of exposure on unintentional surfer and bodyboarder deaths
This study has identified surfing and bodyboarding as having lower mortality risks than other coastal activities and identified factors that impact on this risk.
Published May 2023; PLoS ONE
2022 Publications
Awareness without learning:
A preliminary study exploring the
effects of beachgoer's experiences on risk taking behaviours
Learning from lifeguards at patrolled beaches could lead to more embodied understandings of risk that ‘stay’ with people and transfer to preventive and precautionary behaviours at unpatrolled beaches.
Published December 2022; Heliyon
Predicting and Changing Intentions to Avoid Driving into Urban Flash Flooding
The research aimed to understand drivers’ beliefs and intentions in relation to driving into floodwater caused by flash floods in an urban area.
Published October 2022; Water
Assessing variations in estimates of drowning mortality in Turkey
from 2013 to 2019
Accurate, timely and detailed data are essential for the development and evaluation of drowning prevention interventions, guided by a National Water Safety Plan.
Published August 2022; Archives of Public Health
Cervical spine injuries occurring at the beach: epidemiology, mechanism of injury and risk factors
The person most likely to sustain a cervical spine injury at the beach is a middle-aged male. However, we also found an unexpectedly high number of surfers and females injured by diving into shallow water.
Published July 2022; BMC Public Health
Evaluating the effectiveness of a science-based community beach safety intervention: The Science of the Surf (SOS) presentation
Direct presentations may improve community understanding of beach safety practice and rip current awareness and identification.
Published May 2022; Continental Shelf Research
Characteristics and beach safety knowledge of beachgoers on unpatrolled surf beaches in Australia
The survey found that the main reasons why beachgoers visited unpatrolled beaches were because they were conveniently close to their holiday accommodation, or they represented a quieter location away from crowds.
Published March 2022; Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
Identifying risk factors and
implications for beach drowning prevention amongst an Australian multicultural community
The importance of beach safety education and swimming lessons within the Southern Asian community should be prioritised for new and recent migrants to Australia.
Published January 2022; PLoS ONE
Preliminary evaluation of the impact of mandatory life jacket laws at declared high-risk rock platforms on unintentional rock fishing drowning deaths
Reductions in rock fishing deaths at declared areas were observed since the legislation’s introduction, but were not significant. Greater enforcement and extension to other high-risk platforms may reduce deaths further.
Published November 2022; Injury Prevention
Nonfatal drowning-related hospitalizations and associated healthcare expenditure in India:
An analysis of nationally representative survey data
Drowning can be an economically catastrophic injury, especially for those already impacted by poverty.
Published September 2022; Journal of Safety Research
Systematic review of the impact of heatwaves on health service
demand in Australia
Heatwaves impact health, and subsequently health services, with increased demand seen ranging from ambulance services through to deaths Australia-wide.
Published July 2022; BMC Health Services Research
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions: A Systematic Literature Review of a Silent Contributor to Adult Drowning
Review findings indicate people with pre-existing medical conditions drown, yet relatively few studies have documented the risk..
Published July 2022; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
Integrated Registry for Drowning and Aquatic Injuries in Portugal
There is a clear need to work towards the establishment of an Integrated National Registry of Drowning and Water Injuries, knowing that it will be challenging to identify how and with whom this will be achieved.
Published April 2022; Acta Medica Portuguesa
Drowning risk and climate change: a state-of-the-art review
The impact of climate change on drowning risk is already taking place and can no longer be ignored.
Published March 2022; Injury Prevention
Quantifying fatal and non‐fatal
drowning in children under five in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Drowning among young children represents a preventable cause of injury‐related harm. While fatalities are declining, non‐fatal drowning is increasing.
Published February 2022; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
A qualitative examination of causal factors and parent/caregiver experiences of non-fatal drowning-related hospitalisations of children
aged 0–16 years
Supervision, effective pool barriers, learning swimming skills and learning CPR remain key child drowning prevention strategies.
Published November 2022; PLoS ONE
Lessons learned from co-designing a high school beach safety education program with lifeguards and students
Beach safety programs may not be delivering information that is needed, wanted or useful.
Published September 2022; Health Promotion Journal of Australia
Closing the gap for drowning
prevention across Europe
We recommend encouraging greater investment in partnerships, joint planning, implementation, and accountability of drowning prevention policies, plans, and strategies; and draw on links between drowning prevention, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and those identified in the UN Resolution on Drowning Prevention.
Published July 2022; The Lancet Public Health
Experiences, beliefs, and attitudes of lifeguards from Australia and the United Kingdom toward lifeguard involvement in flood mitigation and response
Lifeguards represent a willing and able workforce to support flood mitigation and response, some of whom are already being tasked with such work.
Published June 2022; International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Infant Drowning Prevention:
Insights from a New Ecological Psychology Approach
Ecological psychology has been used to investigate the relationship between infants’ perceptual–motor development and their behavior around bodies of water.
Published April 2022; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
An evaluation of a video-based intervention targeting alcohol consumption during aquatic activities
The intervention has the potential to influence young males’ subjective norms, intentions, and risk perceptions regarding their mates’ and their own risky drinking behaviour around water in the short term.
Published February 2022; Australian Journal of Psychology
2021 Publications
Drowning: Global Burden, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies
Drowning requires coordinated multisectoral action to provide effective prevention, rescue, and treatment. Therefore, all countries should aim to develop a national water safety plan.
Published December 2021; Global Public Health
Trends in drowning mortality in Portugal from 1992 to 2019: comparing Global Burden of Disease and national data
Investment in country-level drowning registries enables in-depth analysis of incident circumstances. Such data are essential to informing National Water Safety Plans.
Published December 2021; Injury Prevention
Need for consistent beach lifeguard
data collection: results from an international survey
Inconsistencies in lifeguard data collection present challenges to operations, safety education and prevention efforts, research and policy relying on these data.
Published July 2021; Injury Prevention
Descriptive Epidemiology of Rescue-Related Fatal Drowning in Turkey
Our study provides evidence that bystander rescuers are notably increasing with the number of drownings in Turkey.
Published June 2021; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
When Natural Hazards Intersect with Public Health: A Preliminary Exploration
of the Impact of Bushfires and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Australian Coastal Drowning Fatalities
Analyses showed a shift in drowning deaths associated with certain activities, where increases were observed in boating, PWC and rock fishing activities—especially over the COVID-19 period.
Published May 2021; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
Changing driver behavior during floods: Testing a novel e-health intervention using implementation imagery
This study developed and evaluated a novel e-health intervention to change drivers’ intentions and beliefs about driving into floodwater.
Published May 2021; Safety Science
I Want to See a Drowning-Free Philippines”: A Qualitative Study of the Current Situation, Key Challenges and Future Recommendations for Drowning Prevention in the Philippines
A multisector approach is needed in order to develop coordinated and comprehensive programs and activities aimed at preventing drowning in the Philippines
Published January 2021; Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
Preventing Child Drowning in the Philippines: The Need to Address the Determinants of Health
The Multisector Action Plan activities, and work done to prevent drowning more generally, must consider determinants of health such as education, urbanization, water and sanitation health, and safe water transportation.
Published January 2021; Children
Characteristics of surfers as
bystander rescuers in Europe
Findings suggest surfers should receive rescue and CPR training before they start surfing at locations without trained supervision and refresh training regularly.
Published November 2021; American Journal of Emergency Medicine
Application of the PRECEDE–PROCEED model in the development of evidence-informed interventions for drowning prevention: a mixed-methods study protocol
In applying the PPM to drowning, it is hoped that this study will provide guidance for other nations to apply the PPM to the issue of drowning in their countries.
Published July 2021; BMJ Open
An underappreciated cause of ocean-related fatalities: A systematic review on the epidemiology, risk factors, and treatment of snorkelling-related drowning
Two at-risk profiles for snorkelling-related drownings have been identified – older adult tourists with pre-existing medical conditions and experienced snorkellers spearfishing locally.
Published June 2021; Resuscitation Plus
Exploring a Hidden Epidemic:
Drowning Among Adults Aged
65 Years and Older
Drowning among older adults is a hidden epidemic claiming increasing lives as the population ages. Targeted drowning prevention strategies are urgently needed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other similar countries.
Published May 2021; Journal of Aging and Health
Drowning and Aquatic Injuries
Dictionary
The drowning dictionary provides a common language, and the authors envisage that its use will facilitate collaboration and comparison across prevention sectors, education, research, policy and treatment.
Published March 2021; Resuscitation Plus
Description and prediction of
outcome of drowning patients in
New South Wales, Australia:
Protocol for a data linkage study
This protocol outlines a study which aims to explore pathways of care for drowning victims from pre-hospital intervention, to care in hospital, to death in cases of fatal drowning.
Published January 2021; Emergency Medicine
Beachgoers' ability to identify rip currents at a beach in situ
Many education programmes use static imagery to “teach” people to identify rip currents, but this study presents clear evidence that this skill does not translate usefully into in situ rip identification.
Published January 2021; Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
Understanding a population:
A methodology for a population-based coastal safety survey
More detailed information on the skills, behaviours, knowledge, and attitudes of the coastal activity participants is vital to understand exposure to risk and to develop targeted strategies more likely to improve safety and reduce drowning.
Published August 2021; PLoS ONE
A scoping review of female drowning:
an underexplored issue in five
high-income countries
This review found female drowning is researched inequitably and thus, there is an urgent need for further exploration of females and unintentional drowning.
Published June 2021; BMC Public Health
Analysis of fatal unintentional drowning in Australia 2008–2020: implications for the Australian Water Safety Strategy
Drowning is an issue of public health concern. Despite successes, most notably among young children, there is more to be done to reduce drowning risk.
Published June 2021; Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Suicide along the Australian coast: Exploring the epidemiology and risk factors
The results will be used to inform training and support surf lifesaving personnel and suicide prevention organisations.
Published May 2021; PLoS ONE
Coastal drowning: A scoping review of burden, risk factors, and prevention strategies
Coastal drowning researchers must address gaps in research from lower resourced settings and the lack of prevention strategy evaluation.
Published February 2021; PLoS ONE
Another gender data gap: female drowning in Aotearoa, New Zealand
For decades, the focus of drowning prevention among adolescents and adults has been on males. However, efforts must be broadened to prevent any further increase in drowning-related incidents among females in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Published January 2021; Injury Prevention