After his brother, Rootvij, drowned in 2009 over the Labour Day weekend at Lake Tyers Beach at the age of 26, Mounil Kadakia wanted to make a difference.
And that is exactly what he did. A couple of months later the Indian immigrant, who was studying to become a mechanical engineer, founded the Rootvij Kadakia Foundation, which was awarded the International Lifesaving Federation citation of merit in 2014, working with Life Saving Victoria (LSV) to run programs for tourists, migrants and international students, teaching them the ins and outs of beach safety.
Mounil grew up in Vadodara far from any beaches and hoped to teach international visitors to Australia water safety.
“I came to Australia in the year 2000 as an international student and Rootvij, came in 2003. On that day I didn’t know what a rip was and I am sure that Rootvij didn’t know either or his friends,” he said.
“When we were waiting at the beach while they were searching for Rootvij, a lot of people came across and said there was a big rip over here. It was a foreign word to me at that moment and then they explained it to me and I learned what a rip was.
“Had he known or had one of his friends known I am sure they would not have gone in the water. We didn’t know how to swim.
“Me and my family and friends thought there was a gap in education/awareness for new arrivals in Australia. We thought we would try and decrease this gap as much as possible. You tell your friends they tell their family. That sort of thing.”
Since 2009 the Rootvij Kadakia Foundation, with the support of Life Saving Victoria, has helped 6000 foreign students gain an understanding of water safety, which is something Mounil to continue to build on.
“Every time we do one of these programs for the students I ask them ‘do you know what a rip is?’. Nine out of 10 would say they don’t know what a rip is or what the flags are there for,” he said.
“This is very basic information that they don’t know. Being a new arrival in to a new country and environment, most of them would have seen the lifesavers on the beach, but they are not sure if they can approach them.
“We get this all out to them. We let them know that they are your friends and there for your protection. We teach them what patrol beaches are as well because many do not know that. If we were at a patrol beach what happened might not have. It is a basic information, but some people do not know.”
“We have had fantastic support from Life Saving Victoria. When we walked in to their office and pitched the idea to them they were happy to help us with it. They have just been phenomenal.
“When we firsts started the only thing that we had on our minds was spreading the awareness. We didn’t know how big or small the foundation was going to be we just wanted to see how big or small we would be. We haven’t grown as much as we’d like to and while 6000 is good, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Obviously we’d like to get reach more people.”
To mark the recent 10th anniversary of his brother’s death, Mounil came visited Lakes Entrance, thanking all who were involved.
Life Saving Victoria Manager for Multicultural Projects, David Holland, said the Rootvij Kadakia Foundation was doing a fantastic job teaching important water safety skills.
“After the events of that long weekend in 2009 Mounil came to Melbourne and he approached us and asked us if there was anything we could do to help the situation,” Mr Holland said.
“He didn’t want to see it is repeated. He wanted to do more in the preventative side and we sat down and worked out a program for him.
“That’s been running for 10 years and that focuses on international students in Melbourne.
“Over the course of the summer we might run about a dozen excursions to the beach each year. Their half day excursions at the beach are run at a lifesaving club around the bay. Typically a university, college, Tafe or a language school’s pupils would experience a club room and swim at a safe beach. Most importantly they get that water safety talk that they never had, which includes what is a rip, how does it work and how do you get out of it.
“There would be 6000 people that are safer around water in Australia and when they return home.”
PICTURED: Mounil Kadakia and wife, Radha, pictured with Lakes Entrance Surf Lifesaving Club president, Dave Richardson, returned to Lakes Entrance Main Beach over the Labour Day long weekend 10 years after the drowning death of his brother, Rootvij.
