Children. Children ages 1–4 have the highest drowning rates. Most drownings in children 1–4 happen in swimming pools. Drowning can happen even when children are not expected to be near water, such as when they gain unsupervised access to pools.
It highlights our research and analysis of fatal drowning of children aged 5 – 14 years across Australia between 1st July 2011 and 30th June 2021. During this time, 105 children aged 5 – 14 years drowned in Australia. On average there were 10 child (aged 5-14 years) drowning deaths per year.
Rivers and creeks were the leading location for drowning in 2021/22. In part, this was due to significant flooding in New South Wales and Queensland as a result of intense rainfall. Climate change will continue to impact drowning in Australia.
Rates of hospitalisation and death due to drowning and submersion differ by age group and sex (Figure 3). the age-standardised rates were: 2.8 cases per 100,000 males and. 1.9 cases per 100,000 females.
Men account for 83% of all drowning. Alcohol and drugs, risk taking behaviour and men over-estimating their swimming ability are all considered key factors.
“Many Queenslanders might be surprised to learn that rivers and creeks were the dominant location for drowning, with 45 per cent of all drowning deaths occurring there. “Alarmingly the largest number of drowning deaths occurred among people aged 25-34 years, which is different to the trend in the rest of Australia.
Injuries are the leading cause of death in Australian children, accounting for nearly half of all deaths. One in 13 children visit hospitals for injuries and emergencies every year. More children die of injury than die of cancer, asthma and infectious diseases combined1.
One in four Australians admit they are weak swimmers – or can't swim at all – according to research from Royal Life Saving Society.
On average, 9 children under the age of 5 drown in Queensland each year. An average of 4 children aged 5-17 years drown each year. The Queensland Child Death Register records all child deaths in Queensland. Between July 2004 and June 2021, there were 240 drowning deaths of children aged between 0 and 17 years.
In the north of Australia crocodiles are found in rivers and coastal estuaries and move around via the sea. Look for safety signs and do not swim in rivers, estuaries, mangrove shores or deep pools. Always seek local advice in your area about crocodiles before boating, fishing and camping.
Bondi Beach is considered the safest beach in Australia. It's one of the most popular beaches that has lifesavers patrolling the beach all day. Bondi Beach is considered the safest beach because of the number of patrolled lifeguards for those swimming, you should swim only on patrolled beaches.
For example, The Federated States of Micronesia has the highest drowning death rate at 15.1 per 100 000 population compared to Australia where the rate is 0.7 per 100 000.
Recent studies indicate that 1 in 5 children are leaving primary school unable to swim 50 metres (m) and low levels of water safety knowledge and awareness among Australian children have been consistently reported [7, 8, 10, 14].
Some other key findings in the report include: 80% of drowning deaths were male (a continuing trend). The 25-34 year-old age group recorded the largest number of drowning deaths. 25 drowning deaths occurred among children aged 0-4 years; a 108% increase on last year and a 9% increase on the 10-year average.
In northern states, that warm weather may only last four or five months. In southern states, it lasts the entire year. Unfortunately, drowning may result from pastime activities, and the state where most people drown is Alaska.
3. It used to be illegal to swim on beaches. While on the topic of beaches, in 1838 it was declared illegal to swim at public beaches in New South Wales. Beach lovers had to take the risk and swim after dark to get their salt water hit.
Throughout the 1800s it was illegal to swim at Sydney beaches during the day. This was because people believed it was wrong to be seen in little or no clothing in public spaces. People could swim only in the early morning and late evening, and men and women could never bathe together.
30.7% of swimmers are women and 69.3% of swimmers are men.
Globally, infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, along with pre-term birth complications, birth asphyxia and trauma and congenital anomalies remain the leading causes of death for children under 5 years.
The biggest killer of men under 45 is the act of taking their own life.
Globally, the highest drowning rates are among children 1–4 years, followed by children 5–9 years. Males are especially at risk of drowning, with twice the overall mortality rate of females. In the US, an average of 3,500 to 4,000 people drown per year. That is an average of 10 fatal drownings per day.
Melbourne Water is proud to have taken out top honours at the Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition.
Royal Life Saving Summer Drowning Report 2022/23
In total, 90 people lost their lives in Australian waterways and swimming pools between 1 December 2022 and 28 February 2023.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 80 percent of people who die from drowning are male. This is thought to be because men are more likely to participate in swimming and water sports under the influence of drugs and alcohol. In addition, they are more likely forgo wearing a life jacket.