Swimming champion Matt Welsh supports Closing the Gate on Backyard Pool Drowning campaign

SWIMMING World Champion Matt Welsh has dived in to support the “closing the gate” campaign aimed at keeping children safe around water this summer.

Olympian Matt Welsh is calling on Australians to "close the gate on backyard pool drowning". It's for Kidsafe's summer campaign to stop kids drowning in pools. Pictured with Matt are his children Sam, 7, Eva, 6 and Lola, 3. Picture: Paul Loughnan

FIVE-time swimming World Champion Matt Welsh has dived in to support the “closing the gate” campaign aimed at keeping children safe around water this summer.

Welsh, himself a father of three young children, was in Hawthorn last week to launch the program.

The Closing the Gate campaign, run by Kidsafe, calls on pool owners to check the safety of their pool barriers and gates at the beginning of daylight saving, in the lead up to the warmer months.

“We are urging all swimming pool owners to take action over the next seven days to check the safety of their pool barriers, gates and surrounding areas and importantly to immediately repair any faults, to help ensure that their pool and spa areas are safe,” Welsh said

“Children drown quickly and silently.

“Along with a compliant pool barrier, it is important that children are always actively supervised by an adult when around water to help keep them safe.

“For toddlers, this means an adult being within arm’s reach at all times.”

Kidsafe Victoria vice president Robert Caulfield said while pool gates were the obvious way to stop drownings, evidence suggests that a large number of child drowning incidents occur as a result of pool fencing that is faulty or noncompliant with Australian standards.

“All pool and spa barriers will experience exposure to extremes of weather and wear and tear over time including rust, missing bolts or screws and damage,” Mr Caulfield said.

“Therefore it is important that they are regularly checked and maintained.”