A NEW advertising campaign has warned men in Victoria not to think they are an ‘Unsinkable Guy’ in a push to reduce drowning deaths across the state.

A staggering four out of five drowning deaths in Victoria over the past 10 years have involved men aged 25 to 64.

Inflatable ‘Unsinkable Guys’ feature in the TV, radio, print, digital and social media campaign to highlight a number of the dangers that led to 61 drownings in 2020-21.

Close to one-third of all drowning deaths in the state over the past decade involved alcohol.

The advertising campaign kicks off on Sunday, December 26, as part of a new summer water safety messaging this year to reach at-risk groups in the community in the hopes of a safer summer.

The campaign was built on extensive research that shows men often underestimate drowning dangers to themselves, despite looking out for others.

The campaign asks them to rethink their risks around the water.

The research shows that men are also less likely to heed water safety messages.

Emergency Services minister, Jaclyn Symes launched a new Victorian Water Safety Strategy on Monday, December 20, to encourage people to enjoy activities in and around the water safely and to drive drownings to zero.

“Nobody is unsinkable – too many Victorians have been lost to water tragedies who could still be with their loved ones today,” she said.

“We’re urging all Victorians to be alert to potential risks around water so that we can all have a safe and fun summer – but particularly men who tend to underestimate and misjudge the risks to themselves.

“We want all Victorians to enjoy our beautiful waterways this summer, but we also want them all to come home – the Unsinkable Guy reminds us all that there are still risks around water.”

Drowning-related deaths are a risk across the community, with the strategy aimed at reducing the risk at beaches, lakes, rivers, dams, at home, and public and private pools and ponds.

The new Water Safety Strategy for 2021-25 maps out steps to tackle a range of contributing factors such as the growing number of people visiting the water, demand for water safety education programs, and education for people using recreational vessels.

The State Government invested $8.5 million with Life Saving Victoria for critical water safety initiatives to help reduce the number of drownings in Victoria and support the extension of the lifesaving season in 2021-22.

A further $71.5 million has been added to support swimming lessons and resources for primary school children.

Hamilton Indoor Leisure and Aquatic Centre (HILAC) will be running a school holiday swimming program for children aged five and above from Monday, January 10 to Friday, January 14.

The daily 30-minute lessons will teach children about water safety and improve their confidence in and around the water.

HILAC aquatic administration officer, Quinlan Donohue said the centre has strict water safety measures in place to ensure everyone has a fun and safe summer.

“What we would recommend is all kids are under supervision from an adult 16 and above - we also have (a policy that) all children under five must be in arms reach at all times and are given ‘watch around water’ wristbands,” he said.

“Always play it safe around water, especially around dams and creeks … we want to ensure everyone has a safe, fun day when they come to our venues.

“If someone is ever in trouble, don’t panic - one of the things we push across in our learn to swim (program) is to wave your hand out, yell for help, get the lifeguards attention and float on you back … if they don’t get to that stage our lifeguards are trained to see when someone is in a dangerous situation, and they’ll be right on it.”