CANBERRA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Cardiac conditions cause more deaths on Australian beaches than sharks or other wildlife, a research has found.

A federal government-funded study published by Surf Life Saving Australia, the country's leading provider of surf rescue services, on Friday revealed that almost 40 percent of the 1,667 deaths that occurred on Australia's coasts over a 10-year period were not related to drowning.

Cardiac conditions were the leading cause of non-drowning coastal deaths, the research found, accounting for 51.8 percent of the 620 over the 10-year period.

Traumatic collisions and injuries accounted for 15.9 percent and falls for 10.4 percent, the study said.

Marine creatures including sharks and jellyfish were identified as the cause of 5 percent of non-drowning deaths and less than 2 percent of all coastal deaths.

"Our research showed that males were 5.2 times more likely to die than females, with younger populations found to die disproportionately along the coast with the primary causes being falls and traumatic/collision injuries," lead researcher Sean Kelly from Surf Lifesaving Australia said in a media release.

"Those living in or visiting rural and remote areas were also found to be at higher risk, largely due to poorer access to services and longer incident response times."

In order to ensure safety, the organization urges anyone visiting the coast to swim at beaches that are patrolled by lifeguards, all of whom are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid, always supervise children and avoid alcohol and drugs. Enditem

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