Top 5 strategies recommended for each river drowning scenario at phase 4 of the Delphi
| Scenario | Summary of scenario | Strategy 1 | % | Strategy 2 | % | Strategy 3 | % | Strategy 4 | % | Strategy 5 | % |
| 1 | 60-year-old male, alcohol consumption, driving into floodwaters at night. | Close flooded roads and/or use physical barriers (such as booms). | 96.4 | Build safe and accessible infrastructure such as bridges. | 75.0 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 53.6 | Prohibiting/Restricting alcohol use. | 42.9 | Establish effective early warning systems. Raise awareness of the risks of drowning from alcohol. | 39.3 39.3 |
| 2 | 24-year-old male, alcohol consumption, poor swimmer, strong current. | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 89.3 | Raise awareness of the risks of drowning from alcohol. | 82.1 | Swim/recreate/wash/bathe only in designated safe places. | 78.6 | Prohibiting/Restricting alcohol use. | 57.1 | Public rescue equipment available. | 57.1 |
| 3 | 72-year-old male, small boat, no life jacket, fishing alone. | Wear a life jacket. | 110.7* | Do not engage in water recreation alone. | 92.9 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 71.4 | Learn to swim with a focus on survival swimming skills. | 50.0 | Strategies to survive cold water immersion. | 25.0 |
| 4 | 3-year-old female, no adult supervision, fall into water. | Caregivers maintaining active supervision. | 107.1* | Barriers between child play areas and rivers. | 75.0 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 53.6 | Wear a life jacket. | 39.3 | Learn to swim with a focus on survival swimming skills. | 32.1 |
| 5 | Group of males 25–54 years, alcohol consumption, boating, jumping in. | Prohibiting/Restricting alcohol use. | 96.4 | Raise awareness of the risks of drowning from alcohol. | 85.7 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 64.3 | Avoid open water at night. | 53.6 | Wear a life jacket. | 39.3 |
| 6 | 70-year-old male, swimming alone, pre-existing medical condition. | Do not engage in water recreation alone. | 92.9 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 50.0 | Swim/recreate/wash/bathe only in designated safe places. | 39.3 | Community-wide rescue and resuscitation skills. | 32.1 | Community risk mapping and assessment to formulate targeted prevention programmes. | 28.6 |
| 7 | Mid-40s female, alcohol intoxication, slippery river bank, alone, night-time. | Raise awareness of the risks of drowning from alcohol. | 85.7 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 71.4 | Designing the urban landscape to improve safety. | 60.7 | Community risk mapping and assessment to formulate targeted prevention programmes. | 46.4 | Avoid open water at night. Build safe and accessible infrastructure such as bridges. | 39.3 39.3 |
| 8 | Group of men and women 18–30 years, remote area, swimming, weak swimmer, strong current, steep drop-off, unfamiliar location. | Learn to swim with a focus on survival swimming skills. | 82.1 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 78.6 | Community-wide rescue and resuscitation skills. | 78.6 | Swim/recreate/wash/bathe only in designated safe places. | 60.7 | Signage. Public rescue equipment available. | 39.3 39.3 |
| 9 | Group of males late teens and early 20s, rope swing, jumping in from bridge, peer pressure, hidden debris. | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 92.9 | Swim/recreate/wash/bathe only in designated safe places. | 71.4 | Raise awareness of the risks of drowning from alcohol. | 67.9 | Community risk mapping and assessment to formulate targeted prevention programmes. | 46.4 | Signage. | 39.3 |
| 10 | Male in 60s, fishing alone, fall, no life jacket, bulky clothing, reduced skill and fitness due to age. | Do not engage in water recreation alone. | 85.7 | River safety education including recognition and awareness of hazards. | 75.0 | Wear a life jacket. | 57.1 | Strategies to survive cold water immersion. | 46.4 | Community risk mapping and assessment to formulate targeted prevention programmes. | 42.9 |
The percentage columns relate to the proportion of respondents who identified the strategy as being effective in reducing the kind of river drowning described in the scenario. Strategies marked with an * amount to more than 100% when strategies listed under the ‘other’ section were thematically recoded. Strategies which appear more than once are shaded in darker colour and those that appear only once in the top 3 are shaded in lighter colour.