Half of Aussie parents don’t know it takes just 20 seconds for a kid to drown

Experts fear fatal drownings will spike this summer as the deadly question half of Aussie parents couldn’t answer is revealed.

Experts are warning it only takes 20 seconds for a child to drown.

Australian kids are at risk of drowning this summer, with shocking new research revealing almost half of parents did not know kids can drown in just twenty seconds.

Experts fear we will see a repeat of last summer – when fatal drownings spiked – with more than sixty per cent of Victorian children missing out on swimming lessons or opportunities to practise during the pandemic.

The Royal Children’s Hospital national child health poll also found that 49 per cent of parents did not know young children need to be within arm’s reach of adults in water.

The September survey of more than 2000 Australian parents, released on Wednesday, revealed a similar number were unaware drowning was often silent in children.

Poll director Dr Anthea Rhodes said she was “absolutely” concerned more children could drown this summer and that gaps in parents’ water knowledge “put kids at risk”.

“Frequently we have this misconception that perhaps children will thrash about in the water, call for help,” she said.

“But in fact when a child drowns, it’s often very quick and very silent.

“As soon as their head goes underwater … it’s almost impossible for them to get back above the water to raise any sort of alarm.”

Experts fear a spike in drownings after young kids missed out on swimming sessions because of Covid. Picture: Claudia Baxter

The paediatrician said they see children hospitalised every year whose parents left them with an older sibling or turned to something else for “less than a minute”.

“That’s all it takes,” she said.

“20 seconds … that is less time than it takes to answer a phone call, perhaps read a text.”

She said the key was being in arm’s reach; constant, direct supervision and clear communication to avoid mix-ups about who watches who in large groups.

Other popular myths included that parents did not need to supervise children if they swam between the flags (24 per cent) and that flotation devices such as pool toys prevented drowning (one third).

One-in-six children had never had a swimming lesson, with cost the most common reason, and parents who were born overseas were more likely to believe water safety myths.