Shocking statistic behind Victoria’s drowning toll

Victoria’s horror summer on the water continues, with experts believing the coronavirus pandemic has created the “perfect storm”.

All of Victoria’s beach drownings occurred at unpatrolled beaches.

Every beach drowning in Victoria’s horror summer happened where there’s been no lifesaving patrols.

Rescues at patrolled beaches have also surged — with more than 320 people plucked from the water so far this month.

It’s around three times the number of rescues recorded for all of December.

Since July 1 last year 42 people have drowned statewide — the worst spate on record.

At least a dozen victims never even intended on entering the water but somehow fell or were washed in.

Victorians taking to the water after months in lockdown and swimming at remote beaches in a bid to avoid crowds are believed behind the massive spike.

Lifeguard patrols have been extended into next month in a bid to stop the senseless loss of life.

Life Savers are urging beachgoers to swim between the flags. Picture: Jake Nowakowski.

Life Saving Victoria general manager Dr Bernadette Matthews told the Sunday Herald Sun: “The pandemic has created almost the perfect storm.”
“We have had people who have had limited or no exposure to the water and learn to swim activity for almost a year and they’re now heading to the water over summer,’’ Dr Matthews said.

“We are seeing people heading to more remote locations and unpatrolled areas looking to try and avoid crowds and they probably don’t have the same level of skill and fitness that they had at the same time last year due to the COVID restrictions.

“We’ve seen more rescues, more fatal drowning incidents and we have also seen that there are more people on the beaches as well.

“It really highlights the importance of just swimming between the flags.”

Life Saving Victoria analysis for the Sunday Herald Sun shows there has been 15 deaths at beaches — all either outside patrolled locations or outside patrolled times.

The same number of people drowned at inland waterways like rivers, creeks and dams and 12 people, mostly children, died at home.

A woman drowned at Bushrangers Bay in Flinders earlier this month.

Five drowning victims were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, with authorities keen to stress it’s typically locals, not tourists, getting into trouble.

“People do often think that it’s tourists but that’s not the case — it is local people,’’ Dr Matthews said.

“About two-thirds of the drowning incidents are people who are local.

“Water safety is something that needs to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“We often think: ‘It’s someone else. It’s children, it’s people from multicultural communities. It’s not me, it’s someone else.’

“But we really need to start thinking: ‘It can happen to me. It can happen to anyone’.

“And it’s so preventable. Drowning is preventable.”

Rips were the biggest cause of beach deaths with coastal drownings peaking in the afternoon — possibly due to swimmers becoming fatigued or worsening surf conditions.

Men made up around two-thirds of drowning victims since July 1, with those aged 25-44 most at risk.

A woman died in Venus Bay in January. Picture: Brooke Grebert-Craig.

Thirteen children died compared with one for all of the previous 12 months.

Seven of the deaths were in and around the home in areas such as baths, pools, ponds and dams.

More people drowned after getting in the water unintentionally than did swimming — highlighting a lack of knowledge about the danger of water and a lack of water safety skills.

Fewer than five drownings involved alcohol or drugs.

Lifeguard patrols are being extended until February 21 across 21 beaches in response to the tragic spate.

Four roving jet ski services across Port Phillip Bay and the coast will also now run until the end of February.

VICTIMS

Kanady Moo, 13.

November 3, 2020

Beloved teen died while swimming in Werribee River with friends.

Woman, 24.

November 29, 2020

Found unresponsive after seen struggling in water, the Melton woman was on a family outing at Phillip Island’s Smiths Beach.

Man, 32.

December 12, 2020

Found unresponsive in water at Frankston beach, the Noble Park resident couldn’t be revived.

Anupam Chhabra and Ashu Duggal, both aged 26.

Christmas Day, 2020

Indian-born mates swimming at Squeaky Beach when they got into trouble.

Aida Hamed, 45, died after being washed off the rocks with five others in Bushrangers Bay Picture: Facebook.

Lisa Mandeltort died after attempting to rescue another swimmer at Venus Bay.

Aida Hamed, 45.

January 13, 2021

Died after being swept off rocks at Bushrangers Bay near Cape Schanck.

Two women and a teenage girl were also swept in but survived.

Girl, 4.

January 13, 2021

Found in the water at Lysterfield Lake and flown to hospital where Doveton youngster later died.

Lisa Mandeltort, 29.

January 13, 2021.

Science teacher died while trying to save a teenage girl struggling in water at Venus Bay.

Man, aged in 80s.

January 13, 2021

Pulled unconscious from water at Rye front beach and couldn’t be revived.

Terry Chandler, 42.

January 20, 2021.

Father of seven celebrating birthday with a fishing trip drowned after his boat capsized off South Gippsland coast.

Peter Dostis, 56.

January 23, 2021

Barwon Heads dad and businessman swimming with two others in large surf at Thirteenth Beach when they got caught in a rip.

Man, 58.

January 23, 2021

Thrown into water off Anglesea Beach after small boat capsized. He was wearing a life jacket which failed to inflate.

Warnings are displayed at Bushrangers Bay.

OUR TRAGIC SUMMER

DROWNINGS

November — 8 (+4)

December — 10 (+2)

January — 7(+5)

RESCUES

November — 27 (+23)

December — 123 (+10)

January — 326 (+84)

GENDER OF VICTIMS

Male — 26

Female — 16

AGE OF VICTIMS

0-4 — 8 (19%)

5-14 — 5 (12%)

15-25 — 2 (5%)

26-44 — 11 (26%)

45-64 — 9 (21%)

65+ — 7 (17%)

TOTAL — 42

WHERE DROWNINGS HAPPENED

Coast — 15 (36%)

Inland waterways — 15 (36%)

Home/other — 12 (28%)

FATALITIES BY MONTH

July — 6

August — 6

September — 2

October — 3

November — 8