Life Saving Victoria’s drowning report reveals alarming increase in drownings

THE drowning death toll in Victoria has reached the second-worst level in a decade, prompting serious water safety warnings at the start of summer.

THE drowning death toll in Victoria has reached the ­second-worst level in a decade, prompting serious water-­safety warnings at the start of ­summer.

The Herald Sun can reveal 45 Victorians drowned last year, 20 per cent above the long-term average, after an alarming rise in the number of toddlers and elderly people who struck trouble in the water.

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Life Saving Victoria’s drowning report, to be released today, also shows local councils are going backwards on keeping their pools in check, with more than half not completing safety assessments in the past three years.

Of the 45 deaths last year, 35 victims were male and 10 were female, while paramedics also attended another 54 near-drownings.

Life Saving Victoria lifeguard Jim Unkles on patrol at Gunnamatta beach. Picture: Jason Sammon

The report found the drowning rate among Victorians aged over 65 had soared 45 per cent, prompting targeted “play it safe by the water” advertisements on TV and radio stations this summer.

Almost a third of drownings happened when the victims were swimming, paddling or wading in water — a 76 per cent increase on the long-term average and the most common activities that led to fatalities.

“Drownings are shocking to both families of the victims and the public, especially because each drowning could have been prevented,” Life Saving Victoria’s principal research associate Dr Bernadette Matthews said.

“The statistics in the report show there’s still work to be done in educating Victorians on water safety, as well as in showing them safe ways to recreate in and on the water.”

The report also found:

TWO in every five drownings occurred at inland waterways, a 48 per cent increase on the long-term average;

FOUR children aged 0 to four drowned last year, including two in backyard pools;

ALCOHOL was a factor in 22 per cent of drowning deaths;

A THIRD of non-fatal drownings happened in public and residential pools.

The annual drowning report also included, for the first time, a look at the long-term figures on deaths in public swimming pools. It found there had been 35 drowning deaths in public swimming pools in the past 25 years, including 25 at council pools.

Life Saving Victoria will renew its efforts to enforce tougher pool barrier requirements over the next six months, along with highlighting the need to supervise kids in pools.

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