Safety warning issued after Australia’s summer drowning death toll hits 44

SYDNEY: Australian lifeguards have issued a safety warning after a spate of drownings across the country in the beginning of the summer.

According to data from Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), Australia’s peak water safety, swimming and lifeguard education organization, 44 people have drowned in the country since the start of summer on Dec. 1.

It equaled the 44 drowning deaths in the same period in 2023-24 and was slightly above the five-year average for the period of 41 drowning deaths.

Of the 44 drowning deaths, 13 occurred in the period between Christmas Day on Dec. 25 and New Year’s Day on Jan. 1.

William Koon, the national manager of drowning prevention strategy at the RLSS, said on Tuesday that swimming skills have decreased in Australia due to financial barriers and lower availability and accessibility of local swimming pools.

He told News Corp Australia newspapers that a new national strategy was needed to give Australian children the skills they need to survive in the water.

The commander of the RLSS branch in the state of Victoria, Kane Treloar, urged everyone planning on going swimming during the rest of the summer to do so at beaches patrolled by lifeguards and to take care of each other.

At least five drowning victims since Dec. 1 were younger than 18, according to the RLSS.

Of the accidents, 12 occurred in Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales and 11 were in Queensland.

-Xinhua