Australia’s drowning dying toll highest since data started three a long time in the past | Australia information

Australians’ swimming abilities are at disaster ranges, lifesaving organisations warn, as a brand new report exhibits 357 folks drowned final monetary yr, the very best drowning dying toll since data started in 1996.

The annual drowning report launched by Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia on Tuesday recorded 357 deaths between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 – 34 greater than the earlier yr’s whole of 323, and a 27% improve on the 10-year common.

One-third of those that drowned had been over the age of 65, and drowning deaths amongst these aged 75 or older had elevated by 63% on the 10-year common, the report exhibits.

Royal Life Saving Australia’s chief govt, Justin Scarr, mentioned these will increase had been a minimum of partly a consequence of the inhabitants ageing and never recognising or acknowledging how age and a few well being situations or medicines might have an effect on their swimming abilities.

“Older people, men particularly, overestimate their ability,” mentioned Scarr. “They fail to recognise that their skills are in decline, and they can often be completely unaware that the medication that they’re taking can cause loss of consciousness or other symptoms that make it very difficult for them to swim in the light of safety.”

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The report expressed concern that Australians’ swimming abilities could also be at their lowest because the widespread adoption of school-based swimming applications within the Seventies.

Coastal drownings, accounting for 43% of the nationwide whole, remained a specific concern for Surf Life Saving Australia, mentioned its chief govt, Adam Weir.

“Rip currents remain Australia’s number one coastal hazard, responsible for more than one in three beach drowning deaths – claiming more lives than sharks, floods or cyclones combined … More is being asked of surf lifesavers and lifeguards, as beach usage continues to grow and people explore a wider range of coastal locations.”

New South Wales had the very best variety of drowning deaths at 129, adopted by Queensland at 90. But the speed of drowning was highest in Western Australia, at 1.65 drownings per 100,000 folks and 49 deaths; and lowest in Victoria, at 0.75 per 100,000 folks or 52 deaths.

Of folks whose nation of start was identified (53%), 32% had been born abroad.

Deaths of youngsters below the age of 5 remained low in opposition to the 10-year common, which Scarr attributed to a long time of labor, together with pool fencing laws and consciousness elevating. Deaths of youngsters aged 5 to 14 accounted for 3% of all drownings, however the deaths of 15-to24-year-olds was 4 instances that, at 12%.

“Parents sign up [their kids to swimming lessons] at six months of age and they hang in there for as long as they can. But the research shows that children are leaving lessons between the ages of six and seven, and they almost never return,” Scarr mentioned.

The price burden and patchy entry to classes and secure swimming locations, amongst different components, meant round half of youngsters had been leaving major college unable to swim. If they left highschool with out these abilities then they had been at important lifelong danger of drowning, Scarr mentioned.

“Swimming education has fundamentally got to be wet. We can’t paste over that problem by replacing all swimming education with a brochure or an online program.”

Those in deprived areas drowned at larger charges per inhabitants than in additional advantaged areas, with kids aged below 14 significantly weak.

“We need kids in pools, and we need kids learning how to swim and swim long distances and life-saving strokes. And we’ve got to make it fun and enjoyable … to prepare older children for exposure to water well away from their parents, and likely in unpatrolled, unlifeguarded areas,” Scarr mentioned.