In 2019, eight men from a Revesby Mosque had to be rescued from a rip by off-duty lifesavers while on a father-son camping weekend at Seven Mile Beach near Forster.
The incident was the catalyst for Illawong’s Omar Mahmoud and Revesby’s Feroz Sattar to form Swim Brothers, which undertook a two-week pool and surf training program at the Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre in Lidcombe before hitting North Cronulla Beach over the Australia Day weekend.
Also inspired by the success of the similar Swim Sisters program, Mr Sattar says there are challenges with men from their communities accessing “surf and beach safety programs in a culturally sensitive format”.
Left with a “scar” after his cousin drowned at a beach, Swim Brothers participant Nasmin Taybah from Guildford, had a near miss of his own in the surf before deciding he needed to learn to swim properly.
“Once I was at the beach and I went into the water not realising how strong the waves were,” he said.
“It wasn’t very deep but I had to use all my powers to reach the shore. I almost did not make it.”
Making up 88 per cent of fatalities during the 2019/20 season, men are over-represented in coastal drowning deaths and Surf Life Saving NSW has thrown their support behind Swim Brothers, with CEO Steven Pearce explaining that people from Western Sydney, particularly from diverse communities, are also identified as an at-risk group.
