Australia's holiday drowning epidemic centred on NSW

In spite of extensive pre-Christmas warnings from water safety organisation, the holiday period has seen an unprecedented succession of drowning with almost as many aquatic deaths as car fatalities.

Since 19th December, there have been 17 drowning deaths, with the latest tragedy occurring on toda with a body was pulled from Lake Eucumbene in the Snowy Mountains.

NSW Police had been searching for the man, aged in his 40s, who went missing on New Year’s Day about 3pm.

A former NSW judge also drowned in a backyard pool.

Royal Life Saving Society – Australia Chief Executive Justin Scarr told news.com.au the number was three or four times higher than what they would usually expect over the Christmas and New Year period.

Scarr explained “people need to understand the risks of these waterways."

Royal Life Saving NSW Operations Manager Michael Ilinsky told ABC it was a disastrous summer, commenting “it is definitely the season of distractions - the knock at the door, the ringing phone, other children crying out for assistance; they are the things that take our attention away from backyard swimming pools.”

Three drownings have involved infants in fenced off backyard pools.

This is particularly concerning for Royal Life Saving which launched a new advertising campaign featuring Masterchef judge Matt Preston highlighting how it takes just seconds for a child to drown.

In the advertisements, Preston points out that in the time it takes to take a pizza out of an oven, a child can fall into a pool and drown. 

Preston urges parents not to get distracted by doorbells, cooking or mobile phones.

Scarr said Royal Life Saving would have to improve its plan to prevent drownings, urging parents and carers to “remove pool toys and make sure the gate is working.

“If you have a portable swimming pool, it’s a good time to pack that away.”

Also commenting on Royal Life Saving’s concerns about the number of inland water drowning, Scarr added “often rivers, lakes and swimming holes can look calm but there are still significant currents and debris washing through these areas. There are steep drop-offs and significant changes.”

“Traditionally alcohol is involved in drownings in inland waterways, it’s too early to tell if that was a factor in any of these cases, but we urge people to minimise their alcohol consumption.”

Image courrtesy of Royal Life Saving’s Respect the River campaign.

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16th November 2016 - RESEARCH SHOWS CORRELATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND RIVER DROWNINGS 

15th September 2016 - NEW REPORT SHOWS NO IMPROVEMENT IN ANNUAL DROWNING FIGURES 

28th April 2016 - NEW AUSTRALIAN WATER SAFETY STRATEGY RECOGNISES IMPACTS OF NON-FATAL DROWNING

24th March 2016 - ROYAL LIFE SAVING HIGHLIGHTS RIVER SAFETY FOR EASTER LONG WEEKEND

23rd February 2016 - ROYAL LIFE SAVING WARNS OF DROWNING DANGERS IN INLAND WATER

24th January 2016 - 59 DROWN IN WATERWAYS SINCE START OF DECEMBER

1st October 2014 - AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT MOVES TO CUT DROWNING DEATHS

30th September 2014 - ROYAL LIFE SAVING REPORTS 'MODERATE BUT PROMISING' REDUCTION IN DROWNINGS