A Proposed Framework for Developing a Plan for Research in Lifesaving and Water Safety

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Lifesaving has come a long way since 1878 in Marseille, when the first world lifesaving congress was held. The last half of the 19th century and up to World War I saw a dramatic and worldwide increase in sea trade, augmented by improved technology. The oceans became crowded, while concerns for safety lagged far behind the increase in tonnage by sea (Golden & Tipton, 2002). An escalation in armed conflict fanned the fire. Drowning statistics were at an all-time high. A tiny but significant seafaring nation like Norway approached 750 drownings per year at the peak, nearly 8 times the current toll and, per capita, over 20 times as great as today (Solberg & Nesheim, 2006). Little wonder that both governments and private individuals became alarmed, and initiatives to reduce this tragedy emerged. Local efforts led the way, appearing in the form of awareness campaigns, resuscitation education, learn-to-swim campaigns, lifesaving programs, and sea rescue. Several major cities worldwide had already formalized ambitious programs (e.g., The Society for Rescue of Drowning Persons, Amsterdam, 1767, in Bierens, 2006). The seeds of national consolidation were sown, and the first national lifesaving associations were in their fetal stage. The Marseille conference gathered like-minded persons and organizations and institutionalized the need to share and to learn from one another. A secondary effect of the congress was that seeing the progress of others in the nationalization of lifesaving accelerated this development in other countries. The next 25–30 years saw the birth of dozens of national lifesaving associations. As we all know, the Federation Internationale de Sauvetage Aquatique was launched in 1910. World Life Saving came later (1971), catering to the special needs of surf lifesaving, and in historic meetings in Leuven, Belgium, in 1993, these were merged into the International Life Saving Federation (ILS) of today. Many of these national associations have flourished and achieved a high degree of professional competence and experience and have been able to reach a large portion of their citizens. Some have succeeded in the political arena, influencing their governments to establish certain safety standards. In spite of increased international contact, the national agencies have maintained strong cultural traditions. A considerable variety of philosophies, methods, techniques, and programs still exists. Within the aquatic-research community,