No one wants to meet their maker due to a careless mistake that could be avoided, and the the purpose of this clever character is to make folks think twice when going into the water.
According to Water Safety New Zealand, the creators of this ad campaign, 105 people die from drowning each year in the country, including 56 lives already being claimed in 2017. What’s most heartbreaking about the majority of these incidents is that they were preventable, with the bulk of them involving young males who decided to swim while under the influence of alcohol.
The message from the ‘Swim Reaper’ is to always exercise caution and know that the ocean can be a dangerous place. Just the smallest mistake can cost you your life, and the reaper is always waiting on a beach near you. Morbid as it may be, scaring the truth into people is sometimes the most effective method of prevention.
So if you’re getting ready to head off into the water, count your lucky stars and appreciate the awesomeness of the ocean. The water can be a wonderful place to relax and have fun, but it’s also a powerful entity with the ability to take it all from you in an instant.
