UNSW Beach Safety Group research shows drowning risk spikes on Australia Day and public holidays

The University of NSW Beach Safety Research Group has shared new research which shows that Australia Day is one of the worst days of the year for drowning deaths and that for every drowning death in NSW there are 15 near misses.

Highlighting that it is at-risk people who are often overlooked, the UNSW team are warning beachgoers to be careful near waterways and pools this long weekend.

Based on analysis of more than 4100 fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents over the 12 years up to June 2022, the research, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, reveals that drownings are more common on public holidays, weekends and school holidays.

It shows that the Australia Day and New Year’s Day public holidays had the most drownings, accounting for almost 5% of cases over the study period, with 86 and 111 incidents respectively across both the actual and observed public holidays.

Senior author Dr Amy Peden, from the School of Population Health and the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, opens in a new window, attributed the higher number of incidents to the increased leisure time, alcohol consumption and hot weather tied to these public holidays.

Dr Peden advised “I’ve come to dread these holiday periods, because I know there will be spikes in drowning. The increase in leisure time and hot weather means we have more people in the water, and they’re also more likely to be consuming alcohol, which increases drowning risk.”

She added that the uplift in people visiting unpatrolled beaches and waterways in national parks and at holiday destinations could also be a contributing factor.

More broadly, rates of drowning were more than four times higher on public holidays than regular weekdays - accounting for about 11% of overall cases. Drowning rates on school holiday days were also more than twice as high as non-school holiday days.

The research is the first of its kind to use linked data from ambulance attendance, emergency rooms and death records  to calculate both fatal and non-fatal drowning numbers in NSW on different days of the year.

It comes after another deadly summer on Australia’s waterways, with 67 drowning deaths recorded nationally since 1st December by Royal Life Saving Society - Australia’s Summer Drowning Toll.

Drowning is more common than people think
More than 270 people die, on average, from unintentional drowning in Australia each year, Dr Peden said, 95 of whom were in NSW. But many more Australians come close, a risk which is often overlooked.

Dr Peden noted “our research uncovered that on average, for every drowning death in NSW, there were 15 non-fatal drowning incidents. Drowning is more common than people think - it’s very sad and traumatic for all involved.

The study shows an average of 313 people each year end up in hospital or needing an ambulance after a non-fatal drowning incident in NSW, and the number of near misses could be even higher, Dr Peden acknowledged, given an ambulance would not be called for all incidents.

Average number of drowning incidents per day

Dr Peden went on to say “researchers and the media often report the number of people who die as a result of drowning each year, but until now little was known about how many people experience non-fatal drowning incidents that see them treated in hospital or transported from the scene in an ambulance.”

The research reveals that older children and adolescents run into more trouble in the water than would be expected from previous research which focused on drowning deaths - for which children under five years old are the most at-risk group. For every one fatality recorded for young people aged 5-17, there were 74 non-fatal incidents.

Dr Peden commented “there can be a misconception that we don’t need to supervise children once they get older and have learned to swim. While their risk of fatality is lower, they’re still running into serious issues in the water and needing medical attention, which could be prevented.”

Similarly, while most fatal drowning victims are male, the risk for women and girls increases significantly when all drowning cases are analysed - accounting for about a third of incidents, with approximately 23 non-fatal cases recorded for every fatality.

Effectiveness of Campaigns
Suggesting that more needs to be done to keep Australians safe in the water, particularly on weekends, public holidays and during school holidays, Dr Peden said “this includes extended patrols and safety measures on the days that drowning risk increases, but also consistent and ongoing education and water safety awareness campaigns, particularly for parents and carers.”

She would also like to see more warnings about water safety included in the promotion of secret, often unpatrolled swimming spots, which have been popularised by social media. Tourism bodies in particular should carefully consider their promotion of such spots.

Here she adds “while water safety campaigns often communicate the increased risk of drowning deaths for children under five and males, our research shows high numbers of non-fatal drowning among children and adolescents aged 5-17 years and women. This highlights that being safe around the water should be a concern for everyone, no matter their age or gender.”

Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, Chief Executive of the Public Health Association of Australia, said the research was a timely reminder as we approach the long weekend, particularly regarding the increased risks caused by higher alcohol consumption.

He advised “part of the problem on days like Australia Day is water leisure mixing with alcohol, which increases the risk of drowning. Alcohol consumption continues to be one of our biggest public health challenges.

“The message for individuals is simple - alcohol and water activities don’t mix. For communities and governments, more needs to be done to discourage excess drinking near waterways, plan Australia Day celebrations carefully and minimise alcohol-related harms.”

Images: Professional ocean lifeguard at Coffs Harbour (top) and volunteer surf lifesavers (below).