North East coordinator of VicSwim inland waterways program hopes more education will prevent drownings

State government-backed swimming and water safety program VicSwim has started to run inland classes in the region for the first time this week at Beechworth's Lake Sambell.

VicSwim regional coordinator Naarah Bretton said it was a huge step forward for this type of swim training to be offered in the North East.

"It's a first for this area and we're in desperate need of this sort of stuff to educate our local kids and parents about swimming safely in our waterways," she said.

"Everyone should be swimming with life jackets on in our local waterways and parents must be actively supervising.

"It only takes a couple of seconds for a child or an adult not in a life jacket in our waterways to be taken under.

"It's been something that I've wanted for many years and I'm very grateful that Indigo Shire have allowed it to run.

"If we can get more LGAs, where kids predominantly swim outside of the pool, to run one of these programs during the January holidays, it would be fantastic."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Lake Sambell is host to the only inland class running in the North East and has 20 children aged up to 12 enrolled, but Ms Bretton is hopeful Lake Hume would host courses in future.

"It would be nice to run it with the Albury-Wodonga Yacht Club or at the weir out at Tallangatta or Kookaburra Point, because a lot of drownings have happened at Kookaburra Point," she said.

"Even places like Porepunkah where there was a near drowning a few years ago and the pondage at Mount Beauty. It would be nice to have them in areas where kids kayak and swim.

"If we start educating kids young enough, theoretically, they'll become responsible adults and do everything they're supposed to do."

Ms Bretton said other key lessons for inland swimming were to be aware of varying water temperatures and be prepared for an emergency situation by having items such as ropes on hand if required to perform a rescue.

"Open water swimming is common in our area, but a lot of people don't know how to, which is quite disheartening," she said.

"Considering our culture, I think it should be written into our Constitution that every child learns to swim and reach a certain skill level before they can stop."

Ms Bretton said a huge challenge had been finding enough teachers to run classes across the region, with seven positions vacant.

VicSwim programs will run at 20 North East pools, including Albury-Wodonga, Benalla and Corryong.

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: