Deep Dive: An Interview with Colleen Saunders

Deep Dive: An Interview with Colleen Saunders

From Deep Dive Into Water Safety by Kauaʻi Community Radio - KKCR

March 27, 2026 · 1h 20m · Season 1

About this episode

Dr. Colleen Saunders discusses her research on drowning prevention and the importance of addressing water safety as a public health issue.

Episode Notes “Drowning Isn’t Inevitable It is Preventable.” - Dr. Colleen Saunders Dr. Colleen Saunders is a leading researcher in drowning prevention whose work is helping to reshape how we understand water safety on a global scale. Her journey into this field didn’t begin in a laboratory it began in the ocean. She spent nearly two decades as a voluntary lifeguard at Big Bay in Cape Town, where lifesaving became part of who she is. What started as a passion and a commitment to protecting others in the water would eventually evolve into a powerful research career. After completing her PhD, she found herself searching for direction and began analyzing drowning incidents and media reports for Life Saving South Africa. What she uncovered was striking there was very little research focused on drowning and prevention in South Africa. That realization changed the course of her work. Today, Dr. Saunders operates at the intersection of research, policy, and real-world prevention, bringing visibility to one of the most overlooked public health challenges in the world. We start with a conversation from her current paper in the African Journal of Emerging Medicine Leave No One Behind This…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Colleen Saunders

Topics covered

  • drowning prevention
  • water safety
  • public health
  • research
  • policy
  • equity

Keywords

  • drowning
  • water safety
  • public health
  • research
  • prevention
  • equity
  • lifeguard

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Life Saving South Africa, African Journal of Emerging Medicine

Places: Big Bay, Cape Town, Hawaii, South Africa

More episodes of Deep Dive Into Water Safety

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Deep Dive Into Water Safety podcast page.