Following a spate of tourist deaths on the Great Barrier Reef last year, snorkellers identified as “at-risk” will soon be required to wear floatation devices when snorkelling in Queensland waterways, according to a report by the Australian Associate Press (AAP).
As well, tourism operators will be allowed to request declarations from these “at-risk” individuals before they enter the water.
Apart from floatation devices, the select snorkellers also need to wear a different coloured vest or snorkel to be more easily spotted from a vessel, which must be equipped with an automatic external defibrillator.
Meanwhile, a new recreational diving code of practice is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
