Wi-fi plan to stop beach drownings

Life savers are harnessing the power of smart phones and wi-fi to stop foreign tourists drowning on Queensland beaches.

In a world-first trial, wi-fi will be used to push surf safety alerts in seven languages to beachgoers between the red and yellow flags.

People will get unlimited free wi-fi when they're between the flags alongside a live, multi-lingual feed about beach conditions, closures and safe swimming tips.

Surf Life Saving Queensland hopes the trial will smash language barriers that contribute to drownings.

In the past 10 years there have been 75 drownings on Queensland beaches, 31 of them international tourists or recent migrants.

It's hoped the lure of free wi-fi will also help keep people inside the flags.

Of the more than 5,000 rescues performed by Queensland's surf life savers and life guards since January last year, almost 80 per cent were outside the red and yellow flags.

The solution will be trialled at popular beaches this summer with those locations to be announced soon.

Eventually the system should be in use at all patrolled beaches across the state.

Safety messages will initially be sent in English, Arabic, Hindi, simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Thai, with opportunities to expand the number of languages in the future.