80% of surf rescues are outside the flags. Tourists and migrants account for a third of all deaths on Australian beaches. How can we help lifesavers keep beachgoers of all nationalities safe?
Life-Fi delivers unlimited free Wi-Fi between the flags (attractive to tourists) and connects people’s mobiles to an interface that automatically detects their language setting. Beachgoers receive live surf patrol instructions in their own language – no app download required.
Set yourself up between the red and yellow flags on a Life-Fi participating beach and you will be within range to connect to the free Life-Fi Wi-Fi in your phone's settings.
Life-Fi automatically detects your phone's language setting, suggesting 1 of 6 languages to connect in. Continue with the suggested or you can select another.
The Life-Fi portal automatically feeds live beach safety messages from your lifeguard and lifesavers on duty, so you can see any relevant caution messages about strong currents, marine creatures and more.
Click on each beach status below to see how the mobile experience changes.
Beach open
Beach closed
Even if you’re just enjoying the sand and the sun, Life-Fi will keep you safe with updates on UV ratings and oncoming weather, so you know whether you need to reapply sunscreen or seek shelter.
See live UV ratings
Stay updated on the weather
Do you know what a RIP current looks like? Your lifeguard's top tips give you a rundown on beach safety, such as how to detect a RIP and what to do if you get caught in one.
Life-Fi – through a patented piece of code – extends captive portal technology, turning otherwise passive Wi-Fi into a platform for proactive experiences and real-time communication. Life-Fi units can run for up to 48 hours without being recharged to help lifeguards and lifesavers stay connected with beachgoers across multiple patrols.
The technology product is now able to be rolled out to save lives globally. When it comes to results, any life saved is a great outcome — Fifty lives a year would be worth far more than the investment of creativity, time and money.
Across TV, radio and social media, the response was extremely positive, with multiple requests for Life-Fi to be introduced elsewhere — Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Surf Life Saving New South Wales and the Surf Life Saving Association of Japan are looking to implement Life-Fi.
After a successful trial, funding was secured through the Queensland Government’s $34 million ‘Connecting with Asia Strategy’.
The Life-Fi launch on the Gold Coast reached nearly 1 million people Australia-wide, and millions more across China and Korea, through China’s national online news service, china.org.cn.
Australian news reports were syndicated across 44 stations.
