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Towing safety Towing safety Safety Factsheet # 04 Towing involves a vessel pulling a person and watersport equipment with a rope (or line) to skim on the surface of the water. Towing activities include: water skiing kneeboarding or aquaplaning parasailing (open parachute) wakeboarding riding on an inflatable inner tube, raft or biscuit. Towing a person with a vessel is a high-risk activity. It's a leading contributor to fatalities and serious injuries on NSW waterways. When you're towing a person or you're near someone being towed, take extra care. Follow the rules to keep everyone safe while having fun. Always tow at a safe speed and distance. Keep your boat and anyone being towed well clear of other vessels, shorelines, obstructions and people in the water. Because towing activities are usually carried out at high speed, it becomes even more important that boat operators maintain a proper lookout, keep well clear of hazards and to stay under the 0.05 alcohol limit at all times. Environmental factors can also contribute to towing incidents. Places such as coastal and inland rivers are popular for towing activities. These environments can have a number of hazards including fixed and floating objects, vessels, other people using the waterways, cold water, fast currents, riverbanks and infrastructure that skippers and observers need to watch out for. As the driver, you must keep the vessel, towed equipment and person being towed a minimum distance of: 60m from people in the water, including swimming and surfing areas 60m from the boundaries of designated swimming areas and surf zones (marked by signs) 60m from a dive flag or float 30m from other vessels, the shore and structures when driving faster than 6 knots or more. If these distances are not possible, keep a safe distance and safe speed. Structures include jetties, bridges and navigation markers. Other vessels include both moving and moored or anchored vessels. The Boating Handbook includes the rules for the driver, observer, the towed person and the requirements for the tow rope, as well as information on safe speed. Tips to stay safe: Anyone being towed must wear a lifejacket When towing, the skipper, observer and the person being towed must all stay under the 0.05 alcohol limit Skippers must not tow more than three people at once Always check the waterway for hazards before you begin your towing session Always ensure the skipper is a licenced driver and an observer is in place when towing At high speeds, it is even more important to maintain a proper lookout, not just for the boat, but for the person you are towing Before you go, ensure your boat and towing equipment is safe and suitable Know the limits of your boat, your equipment, the person you are towing, and yourself - and don’t push them Watch for the whip effect when towing someone through a turn – it can accelerate them into a dangerous situation If using petrol inboard engines, avoid fires on board –and clean up any fuel spills as soon as they occur, and properly ventilate any fumes before starting the engine. Related Items Explore deeper into our campaign messages to learn more Safe Vessel Speeds Boating Safety

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Royal Life Saving NSW hosted an Inland Waterways Community Day on Saturday 3 June 2023 funded by the Australian Government as part of Royal Life Saving Society’s Inland Communities Water Safety Funding. ‘A Day at the River’ held at Angle Park, Chipping Norton on the picturesque Georges River was the second Inland Water Safety Community event in Western Sydney this year, with our first held at Lake Parramatta in January. The purpose of these events is to engage and educate community members of all ages and backgrounds in water safety awareness and lifesaving skills to help combat the high levels of drowning incidents seen across Western Sydney. In partnership with Surf Lifesaving NSW, Belgravia Leisure and Royal Life Saving, a variety of drowning prevention activity stations were set up for participants at this event including: Inland waterway safety information CPR awareness Dryland rescue education Lifejacket skills Beach and rock fishing safety In total 65 community members, including children, teens and adults, from a variety of multicultural backgrounds attended the day which concluded with a BBQ and prize draw. 100 percent of survey responses collected at the end of the event showed that all attendees learnt something new and would attend another RLS event in the future. For more information about Inland Waterways Safety visit Inland Waterways | Royal Life Saving (drowningprevention.org.au) 6 June 2023 Water Safety Education at A Day at the River Drowning Prevention < Back to News Royal Life Saving NSW hosted an Inland Waterways Community Day on Saturday 3 June 2023 funded by the Australian Government as part of Royal Life Saving Society’s Inland Communities Water Safety Funding. ‘A Day at the River’ held at Angle Park, Chipping Norton on the picturesque Georges River was the second Inland Water Safety Community event in Western Sydney this year, with our first held at Lake Parramatta in January. The purpose of these events is to engage and educate community members of all ages and backgrounds in water safety awareness and lifesaving skills to help combat the high levels of drowning incidents seen across Western Sydney. In partnership with Surf Lifesaving NSW, Belgravia Leisure and Royal Life Saving, a variety of drowning prevention activity stations were set up for participants at this event including: Inland waterway safety information CPR awareness Dryland rescue education Lifejacket skills Beach and rock fishing safety In total 65 community members, including children, teens and adults, from a variety of multicultural backgrounds attended the day which concluded with a BBQ and prize draw. 100 percent of survey responses collected at the end of the event showed that all attendees learnt something new and would attend another RLS event in the future. For more information about Inland Waterways Safety visit Inland Waterways | Royal Life Saving (drowningprevention.org.au) Previous Next < Back to News Related Posts A Great Day on the Green at the Drowning Prevention Golf Day News and Media National Drowning Report 2026: New South Wales drowning toll reinforces need for action News and Media Celebrate World First Aid Day with 10% Off First Aid Training News and Media

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This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. < Back This is a Title 02 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Previous Next

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Across New South Wales, drowning continues to be a serious public safety issue, with 128 lives lost in 2023/24 — a 33% increase on the 10-year average. Adults aged 25–34 and 45–54 are among those at highest risk, yet for many people in regional, multicultural, or low-income communities, swimming lessons have never been accessible. In Bathurst, Royal Life Saving NSW is changing that. Delivered at Manning Aquatic Centre, the Adult Learn to Swim Program is fully booked this term, with 18 participants taking part in three classes over 10 weeks. The program removes common barriers such as cost, language, and cultural sensitivities, making swimming lessons welcoming and achievable for adults who may have missed out on this vital life skill as children. For 30-year-old Maisha Adhikari, joining the program didn’t just mean learning a new skill - it meant building confidence, gaining independence, and one day chasing a dream she’s held close for years. “Firstly, I wanted to save myself from drowning, and secondly, to save others as well,” Maisha explains. But there’s more: “I want to learn to scuba dive one day.” Why the Program Matters: Maisha, originally from Nepal, never had the opportunity for structured lessons growing up. Like many adults from multicultural and regional communities, barriers such as access, cost, and confidence kept her from learning to swim earlier in life. While she had tried to teach herself, it proved difficult without proper guidance: “I have only tried swimming by myself, but it’s hard to teach myself the right skills.” Now, after just one week, she’s more confident in the water and learning vital water safety and self-rescue skills that could one day save her life or someone else’s. The social connections are just as important to her: “I’ve already made friends with the other ladies in the group, so the lessons are a social gathering too.” The program doesn’t just teach strokes and breathing techniques - it gives participants a safe, supportive space to overcome fear, learn lifesaving skills, and set new goals for the future. For Maisha, these lessons are the first step toward a dream, and a new chapter of confidence and safety around water. 17 Sept 2025 The People of Project Elevate: Maisha's Story Drowning Prevention < Back to News Across New South Wales, drowning continues to be a serious public safety issue, with 128 lives lost in 2023/24 — a 33% increase on the 10-year average. Adults aged 25–34 and 45–54 are among those at highest risk, yet for many people in regional, multicultural, or low-income communities, swimming lessons have never been accessible. In Bathurst, Royal Life Saving NSW is changing that. Delivered at Manning Aquatic Centre, the Adult Learn to Swim Program is fully booked this term, with 18 participants taking part in three classes over 10 weeks. The program removes common barriers such as cost, language, and cultural sensitivities, making swimming lessons welcoming and achievable for adults who may have missed out on this vital life skill as children. For 30-year-old Maisha Adhikari, joining the program didn’t just mean learning a new skill - it meant building confidence, gaining independence, and one day chasing a dream she’s held close for years. “Firstly, I wanted to save myself from drowning, and secondly, to save others as well,” Maisha explains. But there’s more: “I want to learn to scuba dive one day.” Why the Program Matters: Maisha, originally from Nepal, never had the opportunity for structured lessons growing up. Like many adults from multicultural and regional communities, barriers such as access, cost, and confidence kept her from learning to swim earlier in life. While she had tried to teach herself, it proved difficult without proper guidance: “I have only tried swimming by myself, but it’s hard to teach myself the right skills.” Now, after just one week, she’s more confident in the water and learning vital water safety and self-rescue skills that could one day save her life or someone else’s. The social connections are just as important to her: “I’ve already made friends with the other ladies in the group, so the lessons are a social gathering too.” The program doesn’t just teach strokes and breathing techniques - it gives participants a safe, supportive space to overcome fear, learn lifesaving skills, and set new goals for the future. For Maisha, these lessons are the first step toward a dream, and a new chapter of confidence and safety around water. Previous Next < Back to News Related Posts A Great Day on the Green at the Drowning Prevention Golf Day News and Media National Drowning Report 2026: New South Wales drowning toll reinforces need for action News and Media Celebrate World First Aid Day with 10% Off First Aid Training News and Media

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