As tourists return to Cairns and Far North Queensland ahead of the festive season, leading compensation law firm Travis Schultz & Partners (TSP) is calling on holiday makers to be more vigilant when jumping in the water to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef.
TSP Senior Lawyer and Cairns Leader Beth Rolton said, snorkelling is an activity that many would consider to be safe, but unfortunately people don’t realise that it’s often linked with serious injuries or death.
“Tragically, over the past few months there has been several deaths on our beautiful Great Barrier Reef involving tourists who were experiencing this natural wonder,” Ms Rolton said.
Between 2000 – 2019 there were 166 deaths involving snorkelling in Queensland1 and according to the Recreational Diving, Recreational Technical Diving and Snorkelling Code of Practice 2018 the most common factors contributing to cause of death are cardiac conditions, pre-existing medical conditions, weight and fitness, inexperience, particularly for non-English speaking snorkellers and hypoxic blackout.
Ms Rolton said this data opens the discussion of whether safety within the snorkelling industry could be improved to prevent further tragedies.
“Given most fatalities involve cardiac arrests, it raises the question of whether greater warnings need to be given to participants on the risk of cardiac arrest and the signs to look for before entering the water,” Ms Rolton said.
“Surprisingly, statistics from the Australasian Diving Safety Foundation and the National Coronial Information System show there are less deaths caused by scuba diving than there are snorkelling.
“Part of the reasoning for this is that scuba diving is more strictly regulated and those wishing to participate are required to provide medical history meaning, those with underlying conditions are precluded from participating.”
Ms Rolton explained obtaining adequate travel insurance should also be a priority for holiday-makers, as often it will only cover immediate out of pocket expenses and not any long-term economic loss if the person is left with a permanent injury.
“Many of these travel policies have exclusions for various activities, which may include snorkelling,” Ms Rolton said.
“Injuries incurred while snorkelling may result in loss of income, permanent impairment and pain and suffering. If the injury was caused by negligence, the injured person, or their family if the person has died, may be able to bring a common law claim in addition to a claim against their travel insurance.”
According to Tourism Research Australia, there are approximately 2.8 million visitors to the Far North Queensland each year with the Great Barrier Reef being one of the major drawcards to the region.
“If you are going to go snorkelling, make sure you disclose any underlying conditions, in particular any cardiac issues. If you aren’t a confident swimmer, let the tour operator know so they can properly supervise and advise you on safety,” Ms Rolton said.
“The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world and it’s right on our doorstep. We encourage everyone to come and experience the beauty of the reef but also we want it to be as safe as possible.”