Bush Nippers become experts of inland water safety

The same children attend all five days of the program and learn various different lifesaving and water safety skills in an open water environment.

Some of the main focus points for the instructors to teach the nippers are survival swimming and strategies, run and swim activities, everyday life-saving skills, how to wear a life jacket and awareness and preparedness in inland waterways.

The regional and rural inland adaptation of coastal nipper education programs has been running in Campaspe Shire since 2021, but is the first time since the October 2022 floods that the event is being held at Moama Beach.

All children involved in the program received a rash vest and cap to wear during the five days.

Campaspe Aquatics Learn to Swim team leader Emma Barnes reflected on the program and emphasised the importance of open water education and teaching safety measures to all children, especially those living close to the Murray River.

“Because we live on the Murray River, which is classified as one of the most dangerous inland waterways, it is important to educate our children around water safety,” she said.

“If children are going to come and swim in the river, they need to know how to wear a life jacket, especially because the river is flowing it puts children in greater risk of danger.

“A lot of the beaches along the Murray River aren’t patrolled, so there is no-one there to look after and protect people who swim in the river.

“We try to teach the children to be prepared when they enter the river, whom to bring with them, how to swim out of the current if they are struggling and all the safety procedures around swimming in an inland waterway.

“The kids are being taught how to acknowledge someone who needs help in the water, whether they need help as well and learn strategies to help and assist people who may be struggling.”