ROYAL Life Saving Society WA is urging parents and carers with young children to be trained in first aid and CPR skills.
Statistics have shown that over the past 10 years, 80 per cent of drowning cases involving children aged 0 to 14 have involved a direct family member discovering the drowning victim and have attempted resuscitation.
Royal Life Saving WA Senior Manager Health Promotion and Research Lauren Nimmo said it was vital more West Australians are trained in this lifesaving skill.
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READ NOW“We know that in most cases it is a mother, father, older sibling or grandparent who is most likely to be the first responder to a child drowning, so it’s crucial that everyone who cares for children learns how to perform CPR so that they can respond quickly in an emergency situation,” she said.
“It only takes a few hours to learn CPR, which is a small investment that could potentially save your child’s life.”
Senator Louise Pratt is a Royal Life Saving Drowning Prevention Ambassador who has a small child of her own.
“I learned CPR along with other family members just after my son was born,” she said.
“It has given us a great sense of reassurance that we would know what to do if the unthinkable happened. It was a couple of hours well spent and I would really encourage all parents to do the same.”
To enrol in a first aid or CPR course go to www.royallifesavingwa.com.au.