Global Drowning Tracker© Launches Preventative Action Campaign

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - March 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Volunteers from the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA), developed a real-time Global Drowning Tracker© as part of an initiative to address the lack of data and engage the public to minimize drowning.

Two people die from drowning every minute, and many more are permanently injured, but these grim numbers can change; and change starts with awareness.

The Global Drowning Tracker© is an easily accessible database that personalizes the statistics of drowning and incorporates the power of both social media and geo-mapping to empower the public. Utilizing the latest open source technology developed by Awareify™, the Global Drowning Tracker© incorporates the web and SMS text messaging, which enables anyone around the world to contribute to the database.

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, yet in 2012 only twenty-five countries reported some sort of drowning data, so the global drowning burden is actually much higher.  The effects of drowning are not only emotional, but also financial. The burden of drowning annually costs over $273 million in the U.S. alone.

These deaths and these costs can be prevented through the Global Drowning Tracker© by creating awareness, increasing the quantity and quality of recorded data, instigating social change, and encouraging positive action by allocating resources to the areas most in need around the world.

The Global Drowning Tracker© offers the public the ability to honor their loved ones and provides organizations and governments a quick, inexpensive, and uniform method to report drowning.

“Drowning is an epidemic, and we need to take action,” said ISLA President, Henry Reyes. “With the Global Drowning Tracker© we can show the impact drowning has on the world and work together to create change.”

Founded in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) organization, ISLA’s mission is to prevent drowning worldwide by building a culture of water safety. Comprised entirely of volunteers, the organization provides training, medical supplies, disaster relief, and emergency personnel to communities in need around the world.

To learn more about the Global Drowning Tracker©, visit the website at http://www.drowningtracker.com/ or contact Raquel Lizarraga, Manager of Public Relations at raquel.lizarraga@islasurf.org or (949) 478-4752 (tel:%28949%29%20478-4752).