KIDS at St Michael’s, Manilla and St Joseph’s, Barraba got a crash course in surf safety yesterday as some of NSW’s best surf lifesavers rolled into the region for the Beach to Bush program.
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The annual program is in its 22nd year and raises awareness of the dangers of ocean swimming for kids growing up in inland communities.
The program was started after statistics showed almost half of all drownings in NSW waters involved a victim who lived more than 50km from the beach.
Andy Cross and Angie Thorpe from the South Narrabeen Lifesaving Surf Club are taking the message of surf safety across eight regions in rural NSW.
The experienced lifesavers help the children identify rip currents, what to do if they get into trouble in the water and marine life that can be found along the coast.
Mr Cross said it was important to keep the learning experience fun to keep the children engaged and intrigued about the beach.
