With hot weather forecast to kick off the long weekend, beachgoers are urged to play safe while visiting NSW national park beaches, waterfalls and rivers.
Most national parks beaches and swimming spots are unpatrolled and set in wild, remote areas.
Drowning risk more than doubles during public holidays and long weekends, according to Surf Life Saving NSW, with 11 people already drowning on the NSW coast this summer since 1 December 2023.
All drownings to date have either been at unpatrolled areas, or, if they were at patrolled beaches, they occurred outside patrol hours or outside the red-and-yellow flags.
The safest coastal place to swim is always on a patrolled beach, between the flags.
This summer the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Surf Life Saving NSW are asking beachgoers to learn how to spot a rip before entering the water by checking out beachsafe.org.au.
People visiting NSW national parks’ spectacular waterfalls and waterways must please obey all safety signage and take particular care near steep cliffs, unstable surfaces and slippery rocks.
Learn more from Surf Life Saving Australia on surf safety and its ‘Give an F about the flags’ campaign, see Surf Life Saving NSW Safety Resource Hub or NPWS website for advice on water safety advice in national parks.
Download the BeachSafe app to find your nearest patrolled location.
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