A mother closely supervising her daughters splashing in the water, canoeists wearing life jackets and a young man deciding it was too shallow to jump in.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
People at Albury’s Noreuil Park on New Year’s Day appeared to be treating the Murray River just how authorities wished – with respect.
Seventy people have drowned in the river in the past 15 years, according to Royal Life Saving research, 30 more fatalities than any other Australian river over that period. While the Murray’s size may explain that figure, the 1113 drownings in Australian rivers, creeks and streams between 2002 and 2017 suggests many still underestimate the dangers.
Males accounted for 81 per cent of those deaths, with 74 per cent of the total being locals who lived within 100 kilometres.
At Noreuil Park, American visitor Stephanie Eldon had been warned about river safety by her Albury friends.
“Just about the animals and how quick the river runs, just to be aware of your surroundings,” she said.
Ms Eldon’s partner James Tasker and his brother Antony Brown said they probably took a few more risks when younger.
“You see stuff go wrong when you do that, too,” Mr Tasker said.
“But I think that makes you respect it more now, understand it more now,” Mr Brown added.
“Making sure you’re swimming with friends, or at least someone, is important.
“Not just on your own, it’s good to be with people and it’s safer.”
West Albury’s Natasha Comte and her daughters Jamieson, 7, and Scarlett, 5, restricted themselves to shallow paddling on Monday.
“Usually if we’re serious swimming, we put life jackets on them,” she said.
“Their dad’s a much stronger swimmer, he’s a fisherman and a boater and he’s very aware.”
Tony Zerbst, familiar as the face of an Albury Council water safety campaign, said he had not heard of many river mishaps lately and hoped that would continue.
“Given the amount of people who swim in it, the amount of things that can happen, I think it’s a very forgiving river,” he said. “In the kayaks we’re more conscious of wearing life jackets.”
And Mr Zerbst’s own role has been noticed by young people he knows.
“They rib me a bit about it and quote my sayings; obviously it’s sinking in,” he said.
