Alarming new report on Northern Territory drownings

The Royal Life Saving Society in the Northern Territory is calling for change as a result of a report that reveals that per capita the Northern Territory now records more drowning deaths than any other state or territory in Australia.

Royal Life Saving Society Australian (RLSSA) NT Branch Executive Director Floss Roberts says she's deeply concerned about the findings, and particularly the revelation that alcohol was present in 51% of the drowning deaths of people aged 15 and over in the Northern Territory.

The Northern Territory 9 Year Drowning Report. A Call For Change, covering the period 1st July 2002 to 30th June 2011, reveals that the Northern Territory clearly lags behind the rest of Australia when it comes to reducing the incidents of drowning. The report covers the period 1st July 2002 to 30th June 2011.

Key findings show there were:

• 74 deaths over the nine year period, 84% of those who lost their lives were males, while a third of all deaths happened in January and February.
• 82% of those who drowned were from the Northern Territory.
• 50% of the drownings were in rivers and creeks - 15% directly related to flooding - followed by lakes dams and lagoons (18%).
• 38% of the people who drowned were indigenous, 80% of the people who drowned were from regional and remote locations and close to a quarter were aged 25 - 34 (all of these were males).

RLSSA NT has three key recommendations as a result of the new report:

1. The Water Safety Awareness program must continue across the Territory and needs to include funding for remote community access. RLSSA NT says the current education program is clearly working but needs to be extended.

2. A Northern Territory school based water safety and swimming program needs to be urgently implemented (and then monitored through accurate reporting). RLSSA NT highlights the high number of teenagers drowning reveal the clear consequences of what happens when children aren't being provided with water safety education.

3. A culture of water safety in the Northern Territory needs to be developed, fostered and respected. RLSSA NT highlights there's a clear reluctance for people to wear personal flotation devices on boats and not enough awareness that alcohol and water cannot mix.

Commenting on the report, Roberts stated "we acknowledge the terrible suffering of family and friends who have lost their lives to drowning. It's tragic. Without doubt drowning in the Northern Territory has become a silent epidemic. Local people often don't understand the environmental conditions in the Northern Territory. We have to wake up to the simple fact that combining any alcohol and water based recreational activities such as boating is dangerous, and can be fatal."

RLSSA NT highlights that the only age group to record a sustained reduction in drowning deaths in this period is the 0-4 age group which has been actively targeted through the successful Water Safety Awareness Program and pool fencing legislation. More than one in ten deaths during the 9 year period occurred in a swimming pool - both public and privately owned pools.

Here Roberts adds "when you look at the situation with alcohol it's incredible. Over half of drowning deaths of people aged 15 plus involved alcohol in some way. The presence of alcohol in the 45 - 54 year old category reached 64%. That's just not acceptable. Alcohol and swimming don't mix - it's that simple.

"Boating is a big activity in the Territory and so much fun (but) we can't be cutting corners and having a situation where people don't want to wear a personal flotation device. If something goes wrong on the water, there may be no time to find a life jacket and fit it.

"We have got to start changing what is happening. The epidemic is there for all to see. We need more water safety awareness across the Territory. Our programs are working but we can go further. Too many children are being lost to drowning and that."

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