4 November 2025

Lifesaving lessons rule at Burringurrah Pool!

Students from Burringurrah Remote Community School proved you don’t need to live by the coast to make waves during their recent interm swimming lessons!

Located about 300 kilometres inland in the Gascoyne region, the community celebrated the start of Term 4 with two weeks of swimming and water safety lessons at Burringurrah Remote Pool. Students practiced their swimming strokes and built confidence in and around the water with floating, treading water and safe entries and exits.

The Swim and Survive program was delivered by Royal Life Saving WA instructor Kirk Movley as part of a contract with the Department of Education.

Over the weekend Kirk also ran a Junior Lifeguard Club where students tried their hand at rope throws, tube rescues, basic CPR and other safety skills that could one day be lifesaving!

“The older kids really took to the lifesaving and rescue activities,” said Kirk. “Both in their lessons and the JLC program.”

“[They were] energetic, friendly and always up for a competitive challenge. [They] found CPR with the little Annie's interesting and fun while the younger ones were excited about learning freestyle breathing, calling for help, rescues and learning all about safety."

Swimming lessons are vital in reducing drowning risks, particularly for Aboriginal children living in remote communities like Burringurrah. In regional WA, fatal drownings are 5.7 times more likely than in the Perth metro area, making access to swimming and water safety education essential.

Thank you to Kirk, Remote Pool Managers Preston and Candice and the teachers at Burringurrah Remote Community School for supporting these lessons and helping us deliver another successful program.

Royal Life Saving WA is proud to continue its partnership with the Department of Education, ensuring that children in Western Australia’s remote communities have the opportunity to learn vital swimming and water safety skills.