Marine Safety in Victoria Report 2007-2008 (PDF, 1.3 MB, 72 pp.)

5.5.5 Windsurfing and kitesurfing (n=39)
There were 19 admissions and 20 ED presentations for injuries related to windsurfing and kitesurfing.
5.5.5.1 Hospital admissions (n =19)
The VAED does not currently have a separate code for windsurfing and kitesurfing. We presume that
kitesurfing cases are currently being coded under the windsurfing code. There were 19 recorded
admissions in 2006/7 compared with 23 in 2005/6. Seventy-nine percent of admitted cases (n=15) were
male. Thirteen cases were young adults aged between 20 and 44 years (68%). Hit/struck/crush was the
major cause of injury (37%), followed by near drowning or submersion and on-board incidents (both 16%).
The lower extremity was the most frequently injured body region (47%, to the hip, thigh. knee, lower leg,
ankle or foot), followed by the upper extremity (21%, to the shoulder, upper arm, wrist or hand), then
head/face/neck (16%, mostly head). The shoulder and knee were the most commonly injured body sites.
The most frequently occurring injuries were fractures (42%) and dislocations/sprains/strains (21%).
Only 3 admissions were recorded on the VEMD (all kitesurfing incidents). Two case narratives provided
some more detail of the injury incidents: one kitesurfer was dragged 30 metres across a carpark and the
other surfed into a brick wall.
5.5.5.2 Hospital ED presentations (n =20)
Eleven (55%) of the 23 cases presenting to EDs were windsurfers and nine (45%) were kitesurfers. All were
male. Cases were found in every 5-year age group from 15-19 to 60-64 years with 40% aged in their 30s.
Dislocation/sprain/strains were the most common injuries (35%), followed by fractures and open wounds
(both 20%). The shoulder (20%) and knee (15%) were most frequently injured.
Most injuries were caused by falls off wind/kite surfer (45%) and struck by/collision with objects (25%, such
as windsurfer/boom/bar/mast).
5.5.6 Fishing from a boat (n=28)
All 3 boating-related fatalities recorded on the NCIS in 2006/7 were fishers. Data on hospital-treated boat
fishing injury underestimate the number of serious injuries associated with fishing from boats. There are
no activity sub-codes in the VAED to disaggregate cases coded to ‘activity - fishing’ on the basis of site
(boat, jetty, bank etc.) The only fishing activity that is coded separately is rock fishing. As a result of this
coding issue, the only ‘fishing from boat’ injury hospitalisations identifiable on the VAED are those that
have been assigned to a ‘water transport’ external cause code; there were 17 such cases. Fifteen were male
(88%). There were 3 cases in age groups 30-34 and 65-69 years, two in age groups 40-44 and 55-59 years
and one in each of the remaining 5-year age groups up to age 75 years.
Twelve cases (71%) were due to on-board incidents (no further detail), three (18%) were caused by an
accident to craft, and two (12%) were coded to ‘other and unspecified’ water transport accident. Injuries
were mostly to the head/face/neck (35%), followed by the trunk and lower extremity (both 30%) then
the upper extremity (6%). The most common injury was fracture (occurring in 53% of cases). Seventy-one
percent of cases (n=12) stayed in hospital less than two days, 24% (n=4) had a stay of 2-7 days and 6% (1
case) stayed between 8 and 30 days.
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