Central Queensland named as top in state for drownings, near-drownings

A horrifying new report has named Central Queensland as the region most likely to experience drownings and near-drownings in swimming pools.

KidsAlive™ founder and ‘Check-Your-Pool-Gate Month’ ambassador Laurie Lawrence, along with his daughter, KidsAlive™ Managing Director Emma Lawrence, said with backyard pools responsible for 50% of drownings in the under 5s[2], pool owners needed to take more responsibility for the safety of their pool areas.

Central Queensland has been named in a shock new report as the state’s top spot for child drownings and near-drownings in backyard swimming pools.

The Queensland Family and Child Commission report uses data on fatal and non-fatal immersion incidents of children aged zero to four years old in Queensland pools between 2011 to 2021.

Central Queensland had the highest total immersion rate per 1000 pools.

There were two drownings in the region in the decade and 54 non-fatal immersions, calculated to be a rate of 4.2 incidents per 1000 pools.

In 2016, there were 13,412 registered pools in Central Queensland.

“There are clear regional patterns in immersions across the state, with Central Queensland having the highest total immersion rate per 1000 pools,” the report reads

A toddler died in hospital after being pulled from a pool at an Emerald home on January 7, 2021, and Taidyn Murphy, 17 months, drowned in a spa bath at her family’s home in Gracemere on September 19 this year.

Across Queensland, a total of 40 children drowned and 853 non-fatal immersions were treated by health professionals over the report period.

Non-fatal immersions can lead to brain or organ damage and impact a child’s long-term health.

An analysis into the 40 fatalities found 80 per cent of the cases had non-compliant fencing, with defects on gates not self-closing or latching and objects placed within the area that children can climb.

Queensland Family and Child Commission principal commissioner Luke Twyford said the data suggested people may be becoming complacent over pool safety.

“Queensland has strong and robust laws when it comes to swimming pool fencing, but fences are only effective if they are properly used,” he said.

Swimming pool fencing laws were introduced in Queensland 1991 and were reviewed again in 2008, adding the mandated use of three-sided fencing and pools to be added on a Queensland Pool Safety Register.

Ambulance and hospital staff are also required to report any presentations of a child under five years of age following immersion in a swimming pool, and councils are required to conduct an inspection following a notification.

A swimming pool is defined as to have a water depth of 300mm or more and includes spas and wading pools that meet this criteria.

Queensland has almost 400,000 registered swimming pools, with one private swimming pool for every 13 persons.

“With a heatwave coming, school holidays kicking off, and Christmas only a few weeks away, we’re asking everyone to be hyper-alert to circumstances that could see a young child access a pool area without an adult,” Mr Twyford said.

“Minimise the risk to young children by never propping the gate open, actively supervising children while in the backyard so they can’t enter the pool area, making sure your pool gate always self-closes and self-latches, and removing all objects that children can use to climb pool fences.

“These are simple actions that can protect the lives of young Queensland children and prevent future deaths.”