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Hannah's Foundation - Drowning Prevention, Awareness & Support (Australia) Bulletin
Posted by Katherine Plint
MEDIA RELEASE:
Drowning tragedies in Melbourne and Queensland have devastated the founders of Hannah’s Foundation – Drowning Prevention, Awareness and Family Support charity, Andrew and Katherine Plint.

Upon returning from her five day Melbourne trip late last night after supporting many families of drowning victims, a near drowning victim and attending a funeral, Katherine Plint said “its time Australia truly did something proactive at a community level to combat these preventable tragedies”.

“The support in Melbourne was crucial when family contacted us and I have seen over 30 immediate family members in relation to these two tragic deaths and one near drowning”.

“Hannah's Foundation has been seeking intervention programs and financial assistance for a family in Melbourne during the past week, which was successful and that support will be ongoing from Hannah's Foundation’ she said.

“It is even more tragic when a family has to wait for nearly eight years for such peer support and people to help them apply for funding through a charity and now its there for them. Many families that suffer do so quietly, without publicity and with the fear that they are ‘stigmatised’ by the fact that their child had drowned” she said.

Andrew and Katherine Plint have been overwhelmed with demand for emotional and financial support as a result of the horror spate of drownings over the last six months but with summer upon the charity there is a desperate plea for financial support.

“We are begging for this to stop, people need to be vigilant and watch out for others in their community. After seeing another child in a coffin and watching the devastation on their parents faces when they say ‘goodbye at a funeral’ and knowing that ‘immense gut feeling when we saw Hannah’ I can’t stress it enough. I wouldn’t wish it on any parent” said Mrs Plint.

“Two deaths of toddlers in under a week, another two children on life support the supervision at public pools is crucial, amenity blocks need lockable gates on them to prevent children from wandering whilst parents are changing or using the toilet and wading pools need fencing to protect children”

“As the community we would take action if a child was wondering towards a road or tother dangerous situation yet at a pool most people assume it is someone else’s responsibility” Andrew Plint said.

“Everybody can be a life saver, if you see a small child outside arms reach of an adult near water please tell someone immediately”. Mr Plint said.

“The foundation support has been extended to include those involved in the rescue and resuscitation of drowning victims as well. The foundation is coordinating professional psychologists for all staff and rescuers at the Goodna pool and is very sadden by the death of the little girl whose family have requested her name not be released to the media.”

“Please allow families to grieve in private”. Mr Plint said.

“If any media wish to receive a statement you can contact myself or Hannah’s Foundation as we are in close contact and supporting the families in Queensland and in Melbourne”.

With the support of Royal Life Saving Queensland, Hannah's Foundation says Supervision, Compliant barrier fencing, Water Safety Education and CPR does save lives.

Sadly Mrs Plint says “you don’t hear very often of a three old rescuing themselves from a fall in the pool. The best defence is of course supervision but we know as loving parents that supervision does break down.”
About Hannah’s Foundation

Hannah’s Foundation is the only dedicated drowning support charity supporting all families touched by tragedies in water in Australia.

Among its many aims are:

•educating children about personal water safety;
•helping educational facilities to provide CPR training;
•lobbying to legislate that all pool owners have up-to-date CPR training;
•designing and implementing a National Rural Swimming Program;
•providing financial assistance to parents who have lost children to drowning or suffer injuries;
•providing counselling to family members who have lost loved ones to drowning;
•provide assistance to those who are injured in Water Activities and live with disabilities;
•lobbying to legislate financial penalties for those who sell non-compliant pools, including real estate agents;
•raising awareness of drownings and near-drownings in Australia in the media; and
•National Drowning Prevention, Awareness and Memorial Day October every year

For donations to Hannah's Foundation
BSB Number - 704 052 Account Number – 1035885 or online at

www.EverydayHero.com.au

ISSUED at 10am 11th November 2009 by CEO Andrew Plint
For comment please phone (07) 5465 2000

Kind Regards
Katherine Plint
Executive Officer & Founder
National Support Services Coordinator
Hannahs Foundation
P O Box 361
LAIDLEY QLD 4341
(07) 54652000
1800 HANNAH
www.hannahsfoundation.org.au