Royal Life Saving report shows 100% rise in swimming pool drownings over summer

Royal Life Saving Society - Australia has revealed that 104 lives were lost to drowning in waterways and swimming pools this summer - a 5% rise on the previous summer and a 14% increase on the five-year average.

The National Summer Drowning Toll, produced by Royal Life Saving, showed that one-third (32%) of all summer drowning deaths were people aged 55 years and over while 10 children (aged under 14 years) drowned this summer. Males represented 81% of the drowning total.

NSW recorded the highest number of drowning deaths (33), followed by Victoria (22), Queensland (22), and Western Australia (15). 

Approximately one third each occurred at beaches (32%) and rivers (30%). River drowning increased by 29%. Swimming pool drowning deaths (11) doubled compared to last summer.

Two-thirds (64%) of drowning deaths occurred in regional areas. Regional communities experience higher rates of drowning, due to greater exposure to natural waters, and reduced access to safe places to swim.

Alarmed by the increase in drowning deaths while emphasising the need for long-term investments into drowning prevention measures, Royal Life Saving Chief Executive, Dr Justin Scarr advised “this summer was tragic in so many ways. Too many families and communities have been affected by drowning. The figures reinforce long held concerns that many Australians lack the swimming skills to enjoy the water safely.”

Royal Life Saving notes that swimming skills in children have declined over recent years pointing to thousands of children missing lessons due to the pandemic. It also cites increased migration, especially from nations where learning to swim is rare, that sees many people unable to swim or know what to do in an emergency, putting themselves at risk of drowning.

Royal Life Saving is calling for a focus on four actions to combat drowning:

1. Nationally co-ordinated investments to boost the swimming and lifesaving skills of children and young people, especially those aged 10-14 years who can’t yet swim 50 metres and float for 2 minutes.

2. Large scale programs supporting refugee and migrant communities, delivered at local pools in partnership with community groups, to build water safety skills and aid in community cohesion.

3. Expansion of local water safety planning and coordination, as outlined in the Australian Water Safety Strategy, so that communities can unite to implement localised solutions.

4. Strategic infrastructure investment plan to build and refurbish community swimming pools and learn to swim centres, to meet the changing needs of communities in growing cities and regional areas, and to ensure that those most likely to miss out have access to a safe place to swim.

Scarr added “investment in community swimming pools has always been a key part of Australia’s approach to water safety and drowning prevention. More is needed to meet the medium-term impacts of ageing pools, changing demographics, and growth in our outer metropolitan suburbs and regional areas.”

Royal Life Saving Summer Drowning Toll
Royal Life Saving’s Summer Drowning Toll dashboard was updated daily over the summer (1st December 2024 to 28th February 2025). This dashboard presents timeline comparisons and several data variables by state.

Click here to view the Royal Life Saving Summer Drowning Report.