Surf Life Saving WA says beach drowning numbers unacceptable

The number of people drowning off Western Australian beaches is unacceptable, according to Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA).

In its 2013/14 Coastal Safety Report SLSWA has revealed 17 people drowned off Western Australia’s beaches in the last summer season.

Of that statistic, 88% were men and more than 80% happened in regional or remote WA.

Most drownings occurred in the South West, Great Southern, and Goldfields regions, and nearly 20% were tourists.

SLSWA Chief Executive Paul Andrew said the number of drowning deaths had increased 30% over seven years, telling the ABC “we need to try to alleviate this drowning epidemic that we've got at the moment.

"We have a target of zero drownings, and as a consequence to that those 17 drownings that have occurred, those 17 deaths, we can avoid them, there's no two ways about that."

SLSWA has warned people to take care in unpatrolled coastal areas, as the report's figures showed all the drownings happened in places where lifesavers were not present.

Andrews added "there are a number of areas of our coastline where we aren't patrolling.

"As a consequence to that people need to take greater responsibility for their own actions so that at the end of their recreation, they can go home."

Statistics showed nearly 30% of the deaths were attributed to rip currents, with those who drowned undertaking activities like rock fishing, diving, snorkelling and boating at the time.

First produced in 2012/13, the Surf Life Saving WA Coastal Safety Report analyses a range of data sources to provide an overview of coastal drowning deaths, hospitalisations and lifesaving patrol information in Western Australia.

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