More people have drowned across Australia in the first three weeks of summer this year than the same period in 2023, with the current rate of deaths 120 per cent higher than the five-year average according to Royal Life Saving data.
Australia’s leading drowning prevention body has reported 18 drowning deaths since December 1, including six in New South Wales and five in Queensland.
In the first three weeks of December last year, 14 people died drowning in waterways across the country. The five-year average number of deaths since 2019 for the same period is 15 fatalities.
NSW Police said on Saturday that one woman died at Werri Beach in Gerringong, near Kiama on the state’s south coast, after being pulled unconscious from the water at an area not patrolled by life savers.
Since December 1, 18 people have died from drowning, compared to 14 fatalities recorded during the same period last year, according to Royal Life Saving Australia data as at December 22, 2024. (Supplied: Royal Life Saving Australia)
Officers called to the scene found members of the public and local surf club representatives performing CPR, but the 66-year-old was unable to be revived.
On the Gold Coast, a man aged in his 50s died in Burleigh Heads also on Saturday after being found in the ocean about midnight.
As the summer festive period begins, Royal Life Saving Australia has reissued its warning for people to be careful around waterways while on holidays and said that one in four drowning deaths are known to happen between Christmas Day and the new year.
Justin Scarr, the Royal Life Saving Australia CEO, told ABC News that the end of year holiday period and consecutive days of good weather across the country have contributed to the higher fatal drowning numbers.
People heading to Australia’s beaches this summer and festive period have been warned to take safety precautions around the water. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
“The weather has been great and many people are flocking to a range of waterways, including beaches and lakes,” he said.
“We’re urging people to plan. Preparation is key.
“When you arrive at a holiday location, it is the first couple of days where you are unfamiliar with the location, you don’t know where the patrolled areas with lifeguards are, you don’t know the time for the lifeguards and potentially you don’t know necessarily the swimming ability of the people you are holidaying with.
“We urge them to make smart choices about where they are going picnicking, know the local conditions and if people can’t swim, don’t go near the water at all.”
How many people drown in Australia?
Royal Life Saving Australia compiles its national drowning statistics as part of an annual report released at the end of each financial year.
Between July 1, 2023 and June 30 this year the organisation reported that 323 drownings had occurred nationwide, which represented a 16 per cent increase on the 10-year average of 278 deaths.
People aged between 20 and 24 accounted for 9 per cent of drowning deaths in the last financial year. (Supplied: Royal Life Saving Australia)
More than eight in 10 of the deaths recorded in the last financial year involved men, while 40 per cent of fatalities were adults aged 55 and over, and 83 of the incidents involved people who drowned in Australia but were born overseas.
The annual report also revealed that while 26 per cent of drowning deaths in the 2023/24 financial year happened at beaches, one in five fatalities happened at rivers and creeks.
People aged between 20 and 24 accounted for 9 per cent of drowning deaths, which is higher than the 10-year average of 8 per cent, Royal Life Saving Australia data showed.
The data also showed that 33 per cent of drowning deaths last year involved incidents where more than one person drowned.
“This is absolutely tragic and we do see multiple fatality events and quite often the person in trouble in the first place survives,” Mr Scarr told ABC News.
Drownings in Australia mostly occur in summer, but the organisation’s annual report also showed that one in five deaths happen in Autumn, while most fatalities tend to happen on a Sunday and mostly between the hours of midday and 6pm.
Since the summer of 2002/03, 6,277 people have drowned across Australia, with the highest number of deaths since then occurring between December 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022.
More than one in five drowning deaths in 2023/24 happened at beaches, but 25 per cent of fatalities occurred in rivers and creeks across Australia. (Supplied: Royal Life Saving Australia)
What is Australia’s safe swimming advice?
Royal Life Saving Australia’s annual report outlined six main points of focus for people to keep themselves safe around waterways throughout the year.
The organisation said people should supervise children if they’re in or around water, take the time to learn water safety lifesaving skills and how to swim, wear a life jacket while boating or rock fishing, only swim at patrolled beaches, avoid alcohol or drugs when swimming, and to check on weather and water conditions.
“It’s really important you understand everyone’s swimming ability, we really encourage people to swim in recognised swimming locations, and that might mean the local pool,” Mr Scarr said.
“If there is an emergency, you’ve really got to understand a rescue in water is really quite challenging and so look out for someone that has the skills — perhaps a surfer, someone that has some buoyancy like a surfboard or a bodyboard, and life jackets are a great life saver.”
Surf Life Saving Australia, the nation’s leading coastal water safety body, also said in a statement on Saturday that people should avoid the water during the festive period if they plan on consuming alcohol or drugs.
Australia’s lifesavers say one in four drownings are known to happen between Christmas Day and the new year. (AAP: Steven Saphore)
“Just like drinking and drugs don’t mix with driving, they don’t mix when swimming or enjoying water activities along the coast line,” Adam Weir, Surf Life Saving Australia’s CEO, said.
“We know that alcohol and drugs can impair judgement and, in some cases, encourage risk taking behaviour.
“While we want to see people have fun at the beach, there are inherent dangers that people need to be mindful of, including rip currents, unstable surf conditions, marine creatures such as stingers and much more.”
