A familiar face is joining the push to keep Tasmanians safe around Hobart’s busy waterfront this summer, with the Tasmania Football Club’s mascot Rum’un stepping in to help “dodge that edge”.
The annual water safety campaign, launched today by TasPorts in collaboration with Tasmania Football Club, comes as hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to converge on the Port of Hobart for summer events.
TasPorts Group Executive Julie Garth said the waterfront precinct is hosting major events including Tasmania’s Taste of Summer, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“It is also a good time to remind visitors to the port to look after each other as the community comes together to celebrate,” she said.
The campaign’s timing is particularly significant following alarming statistics from Royal Life Saving Australia’s National Drowning Report 2025.
The report revealed 357 people drowned in Australian waterways between July 2024 and June 2025, a 27% increase on the national ten-year average.
More than 80% of drowning victims were males, with oceans and harbours among the top three locations where drownings occurred.
Unintentional entry into water accounted for 10% of all drownings.
Tasmania Football Club Head of Marketing Ella Scott said the safety message applies beyond the oval.
“Whether it’s the summer season or footy season, the message always applies – look after your family and look after your mates so everyone has a great time,” Scott said.
“When walking along the waterfront, we’re encouraging people to do what Rum’un does and dodge the edge this summer.”
The campaign will feature posters displayed around waterfront venues and run across social media platforms until the end of January, using the Devils’ popular mascot to reinforce the potentially life-saving message to stay back from the water’s edge.
