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'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.

“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,” Dr Peden said. 

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

“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,” Dr Peden said.

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.

“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,” Dr Peden said.

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. 

“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.”

Reducing the risk of drowning 

Experts say more needs to be done to keep Australians safe in the water, particularly on weekends, public holidays and during school holidays. 

 “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,” said Dr Peden. 

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.

Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO, 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.

“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.” 

Swimming the day after a big night out, such as on New Year’s Day, could also put people at greater risk of drowning, as even lower levels of alcohol remaining in the system can reduce a person’s ability to identify and react to risks.