Royal Life Saving Australia is urging swimmers to take care this summer as the national death toll at Aussie beaches and pools continues to climb.
According to data collected by Royal Life Saving Australia, 32 people have died due to drowning this December alone. The latest incident involved a 21-year-old, who lost his life while swimming in the river at Pine Island on Sunday evening.
Furthermore, on Sunday, a 38-year-old father drowned after attempting to rescue his kids from strong currents at Carlton Beach in Tasmania, and earlier in the day, a 55-year-old man died after falling 30 metres from a waterfall in Behana Gorge, South of Cairns.
While the 55-year-old’s body was able to be rescued, an hour after he fell, he suffered life-threatening injuries due to the amount of time he spent in the water.
On Saturday, Dr Mohamed Swapan and Sabrina Ahmed lost their lives after trying to save their daughter from rough waters in Conspicuous Beach, Western Australia and in NSW, a man was confirmed dead after he was recovered from the waters of Shell Cove, north of Kiama.
According to data collected by Royal Life Saving Australia, it warns that 20 per cent of all drowning deaths take place during the week between Christmas and New Year.
“This is obviously a really risky time of year when people are off on holiday, are off work and school, and there’s a lot more exposure people going to places that they wouldn’t maybe normally go to, or they’re going to waterways and cooling down with the heat,” Stacey Pidgeon from Royal Life Saving Australia told 9News.
“We are really urging people to be prepared before you go to the water this summer. So that’s making sure you pack life jackets and you wear them when you go boating and fishing.
“But also, don’t overestimate your swimming skills. Know your limits.”
It also found that the number of deaths in the water this summer is 10 per cent higher than the five-year average, but aligns with the number of fatalities recorded in December 2023.
The findings also revealed that people aged 55 years and older made up 39 per cent of those who drowned.
Pidgeon added that the tragic deaths are usually parents or adults who try to rescue their loved ones who are having trouble in the water.
“Often there might be parents or adults who are first on the scene, and some of those people, unfortunately, do drown when they’re attempting a rescue of their loved ones,” she continued.
Pidgeon urged folks to call triple zero or call upon a lifeguard or lifesaver if they are nearby if an emergency occurs.
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