Life saving clubs

S. Kartamadjana's letter to Gatra, reprinted in The Jakarta Post, May 1, 1996, is a wise call for what is a serious problem. The growing mobility of the Indonesian public and the number of people visiting beaches in the Pelabuhan Ratu area, the beach playground for Jakarta and Bandung, has risen considerably. On national public holidays thousands of people visit this area.

Unfortunately, the surf proves too much for some. The number of drownings reach such proportions at times that the local administration has no choice but to close the beaches to swimmers, with police and military personnel being called in to enforce these closures. Police recorded 103 drownings and/or rescues over a 20 month period, an average of one person every five to six days.

To give you some idea as to the extent of the loss of life on News Day 1994, 11 people (mostly teenagers) drowned at the Citapus beach alone, the same beach where eight persons drowned over the two days of the recent Idul Fitri holiday.

As Australia is the home country for the principal of life saving clubs and swimming education programs, I feel Australia could make valuable contribution to the welfare of the Indonesian people.

Letters requesting assistance have been sent to the Australian ambassador and possible sponsors. However for this to proceed, we need the Indonesian and Australian governments assistance in the formation of a club which would be used as a training ground for other clubs in the region.

I don't have the experience or connections necessary to put all this together and herein request the assistance from readers interested in pursuing this further.

LEO LEAROYD

Jakarta