An Australian broadcaster, ABC, reported that a father and daughter were killed on April 21 when they were dragged into the sea by a big wave while playing at Cape Canot, a tourist attraction in South Australia.
Key points:
- Hiking, coastal hiking and rock fishing are more common outdoor activities among the Australian Chinese community, with some risks at the same time.
- Outdoor activists should know where they are, pay attention to wounded animals, pay attention to safety signs, match necessary clothing and equipment, and never take risks
- To swim in the middle of the sea, you must pay attention to the off-shore current and other threat
Similar tragedies have occurred more than once in Australian Chinese communities in recent years. In February 2014, a Chinese student was killed while hiking on the Owland Trail in Victoria, and two Chinese citizen were killed fishing in (Salmon Holes), a famous Western Australia attraction, in April 2015. In November 2017, a Chinese man died while fishing in (Cape Solander) rock, Cape Soland, NSW.
Bad weather, sinister terrain, ferocious water conditions, and inadequate estimates of potential safety risks are the main factors that take the lives of these outdoor athletes. One of the victims died of hypothermia and the others were swept away by surging waves.
What do you need to pay attention to outdoor activities?
Australia is a vast territory, a long coastline, and has unique geographical and climatic characteristics. Therefore, Chinese living in Australia and especially Chinese from China must pay attention to the fact that they cannot copy their experience in China when engaging in outdoor sports or traveling in the wild. Instead, it is necessary to do a good job of security prevention according to the situation in the area of activity.
At present, hiking, coastal hiking and rock fishing are more common outdoor activities among the Australian Chinese population, with some risks at the same time.
According to the advice of Australian outdoor sports experts and the organization of jungle traversing activities, it is important to note the following points for outdoor sports enthusiasts and overseas tourists from especially who are not familiar with the local situation:
Know where you are.
When hiking in the mountains, the most likely risk is lost and left behind. Especially, getting lost or left behind in a strange environment is likely to cause you to lose contact with the outside world for a long time and cause the life system to be unstable.
"try not to walk alone. General field hiking activities, more than four people walk more safe. "if one person is injured or accidental, one person stays with him and the other two go out for help," said Peter Tsai (Peter Cai, an outdoor sports expert.
Peter is the founder and president of the Sydney Walking Club (Sydney hiking Club) and a senior jungle hiking leader. As a professional, he is familiar with Australia`s natural environment and the common risks of outdoor sports.
Peter told ABC that it is best to bring paper maps and compasses with contour maps when hiking in Australian forests. If there are conditions, you can also bring a GPS system that receives satellite signals directly. For tourists who often go wild or fishing in the sea, it would be better to have a personal marker for emergency relief, (personal locator beacon). The personal bezel is universal and can be launched for 24 hours, sending a wireless signal indicating the exact location of the user every few seconds.
Of course, when most people get lost, they may choose to contact others on their cell phones. But what about bad cell phone signals in the wild?
"if the phone doesn`t have a signal, you can call another emergency call in Australia, 112, tell you where you are, and then follow the instructions. If you can`t find the exact location, you can also describe the characteristic mountains, trees, or buildings you see. "
Beware of animals that can hurt people
Peter said in order to avoid animal damage, walking in the forest should try to walk, do not follow the path that no one has walked, and wear thick socks, middle-band hiking boots and even high-powered boots to prevent snake attacks. To prevent spiders or ants from biting, wear trousers, long-sleeved blouses, wide-edged glasses, and try not to touch branches or bushes directly with your hands.
In addition, according to the website of the Australian jungle traversing (Bushwalking Australia), an outdoor activity group, it is best to wear long, light-coloured trousers in areas where there are more mosquitoes. And apply a mosquito-repellent agent to prevent dengue fever and Roth River virus (Ross River Virus).
Watch when you go to the seaside. Don`t risk it.
Even with beach lifeguards, there are several tragic seaside fatalities in Australia every year.
In response to recent tragedies at the seaside, Peter suggested that when you go to the beach, you should first look at the tide and determine if you are fit to walk on the beach. To swim, see if there are any sharks around, and see if there is a safe swimming area for lifeguards.
In addition, do not go casually to the coasts of caves or walk offshore rocks.
"A cave that seems to be safe and far from the sea is likely to be submerged in a few minutes," Peter said.
He also advised not to stop on cliffs, let alone enter cliffs with fences. Taking pictures on rocks by the sea is also risky, and it`s best to lie on them so that you can maintain your body`s center of gravity and reduce the risk of being swept away by waves. Of course, the safest way is not to take risks.
Also, try not to fish on the seaside rocks because it`s too dangerous. If fishing by the sea, you must put on a lifejacket and wear shoes with anti-skid chains. If possible, don`t be afraid of trouble. Please tie yourself to the shore with a rope.
Peter said he should pay attention to the tide when he is at the seaside. In southwest Victoria or along the coast of South Australia, waves sometimes look small on the surface, but large waves often roll up after a few small waves, which are very dangerous.
(Surf Life Saving Australia), a not-for-profit social group, advises the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to look at the color of the water before launching.
If you see a relatively calm dark area in a white wave, be careful because this is a very large offshore current in threat. By staying in this dark area that looks calm and suitable for swimming, you may be washed into deep water by fast-moving water, leaving you exhausted and unable to swim back to the shore.
In the picture, the purple area in the middle of the white waves is an extremely dangerous offshore current.
So, what if you find yourself inadvertently entering the offshore current? Don`t worry, all you have to do is stay calm and float on the sea, and the current won`t bring you to the bottom of the ocean. If possible, stay parallel to the coast and swim toward the waters with white waves that will help you back to shore.
Remember, never try to fight off-shore currents and swim back to shore on your own strength.
Pay attention to security markings and maps
According to Peter, whether walking in the woods or going to the seaside, pay attention to the information board at the entrance of the mountain forest or the beach. Through the information board, you can learn about the safety route of the area and warning signs such as landslides, fire bans, floods, open routes and so on. If you go to the beach, pay more attention to the information board at the entrance of the beach, as it may indicate that it is dangerous to walk on rocks or fish when you encounter climax and big waves, do not walk by the water, do not swim, and walk on rocks or fish. In addition, the beach information board will also indicate whether there is shark activity in the area, to inform you of fishing on the beach.
In recent years, he said, some of the people who have had trouble playing along the coast of New Jersey, Victoria and South Australia have simply failed to comply with safety signs and went privately into fences in the restricted areas to go to cliffs or seaside.
Protective clothing and supplies are indispensable
Several of the Chinese fatalities reported in the media were caused by the lack of necessary clothing and equipment.
In this regard, Peter suggested that while walking in the wild or going to the seaside, we should not neglect personal protection for the sake of convenience. The above mentioned hiking boots with wear-resistant and skid soles are essential and must not wear slippers. In addition, it is best to wear rain-proof and forest-colored windproof jackets (such as sub-machine suits) in case you can`t find them when you`re in a situation. If you are on the beach, you must also wear lifejackets and sports or foot boots with anti-skid chains.
Of course, first aid kits, adequate water and food are also essential.
Beauty is precious, life is more expensive. I hope this article can help you enjoy Australia`s beautiful natural scenery, while minimizing the risk of outdoor activities.
