THE Surry River at Narrawong echoed with the sounds of Bush Nippers for four days last week, finishing on Saturday.

It’s the fourth year for the Bush Nippers lifesaving education program, training young people aged five to 14 to be safe in various water systems.

Delivered by Life Saving Victoria, this year was their most well attended year yet, with 30 children in the morning group, group one and 18 in the afternoon group, group two.

Life Saving Victoria education programs officer Eliza Hine said 75% of last year’s participants returned for the 2024 program.

“This is my third year here, and we have one of the boys in his third group, so I've had him for three years,” she said.

“The new ones are younger siblings who have just started.

A mix of visitors and locals participate.

“It’s probably more locals this year,” she said.

On Thursday, groups spent their session at the Surry River, beside the tennis court, while other days they were at the beach for activities.

The groups take part in four activities each session. One, for example, is a life jacket activity, teaching children the importance of wearing a life jacket around water and helping them to feel comfortable with floating in a vest.

Each session runs for 90 minutes, and children receive a certificate for their efforts.

All seven staff members training the nippers have surf lifesaving backgrounds and have taken joy in being swim instructors for the program.

“I think it's really important that they learn these skills in both at an inland waterway and an open coastal environment, and we are so lucky here to have the benefit of both so close to each other,” Ms Hine said.

“It's also a little bit more protective here and a little less windy.

“I think the most important thing is we want to empower these kids to make safe choices around water.

“We want them to be able to enjoy and access all different types of waterways, but the most important thing is they get home safely at the end of the day.

“It's that combination of teaching skills so they can enjoy the waterways, but also teaching lifesaving skills to keep them safe around water.”

While Life Saving Victoria delivers the program, Narrawong District Association coordinates it. The program is also supported by grants by Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation and the Glenelg Shire.

The Narrawong District Association also subsidises it, and parents pay to have their children in the program.

Narrawong District Association’s Kathy Taylor said, “it’s been a real partnership.”