High interest shown in World Water Safety 2007

The International Life Saving Federation is pleased to announce that over 80 experts from more than 20 countries have submitted expressions of interest to present information on a broad range of topics related to lifesaving and drowning prevention at World Water Safety 2007.


The International Life Saving Federation is pleased to announce that over 80 experts from more than 20 countries have submitted expressions of interest to present information on a broad range of topics related to lifesaving and drowning prevention at World Water Safety 2007.

The proposed speakers’ related organisations include many ILS Member Federations, which oversee lifesaving in their countries, as well as organisations such as the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, The Alliance for Safe Children, the University of Auckland, the European Child Safety Alliance, and many others.

This event, which will take place in September in Porto, Portugal, occurs every four to five years. Participation of experts and global representatives of drowning prevention organisations is viewed as critical to bring about reductions in the global incidence of drowning and advances in the science of lifesaving, expanding the fund of knowledge from which all can draw. All people engaged in this effort, whether locally, regionally, nationally or globally should plan to attend.

Just a few examples of proposed topics include:

  • New International Resuscitation Guidelines ” What’s new and why?
  • Bathtub Drowning Deaths. New twists on an old problem.
  • Rock Fishers’ Practices and Perception of Rock Fishing Water Safety.
  • Spinal Cord Immobilization in the Aquatic Environment.
  • Lifesaving in Third World Countries; India as a case study.
  • Nonfatal and Fatal Drownings in Recreational Water Sites ” US 2001-2002.
  • Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration.
  • State of Hawaii Beach Hazard Information Website.
  • A Preliminary Report of the US Lifeguard Standards Coalition.
  • Vision Standards for Beach Lifeguards.
  • Utilising the Sport of Lifesaving to Establish a “Community Base Within Lifesaving Organisations.

World Water Safety 2007 is a global conference offered by the International Life Saving Federation. This conference follows on the resounding success of the World Congress on Drowning that was organised in 2002 and the ILS International Medical and Rescue Conferences in 1997 in San Diego USA and in 2001 on the Gold Coast Australia.

The purpose of World Water Safety 2007 (WWS 2007) is to bring together the world’s foremost experts, systems and information for exchange, debate and further development that will lead to reduction of death and injury in all aquatic environments worldwide.

WWS 2007 Conference objectives are:

  • To gather the worlds drowning experts in research, education and action to find the best new approaches, techniques and quality technologies to reduce the global drowning burden.
  • To explore the evidence in child and adolescent drowning prevention.
  • To expand global participation in aquatic lifesaving, including among youth.

The hosts of World Water Safety 2007 are the Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos (ISN) and the Associação de Nadadores Salvadores (ASNASA), both ILS members.

WWS 2007 will have two major events associated and simultaneous, one is the Conference and the other is the International Water Safety Exhibition of lifesaving products, services and information.