Australia is recording a rise in drowning deaths, raising concerns about water safety and highlighting the role of swimming education and emergency responses.
Royal Life Saving Australia data has shown that drowning deaths are rising, revealing a growing gap between Australians love of water and their ability to stay safe in it.
In the National Drowning Report for 2025, there were 357 drowning deaths over 12 months, a 27 per cent increase on the 10-year average.
The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 has identified a lack of swimming skills, a desire to explore national parks and regional areas and an ageing population as key factors to drowning, highlighting the importance of education in water safety.
Swim instructor Jasmin Lathlean said conducting CPR is critical to saving the life of a drowning victim.
“Things can go wrong really quick, one second everything is fine, and the next second someone could be drowning,” Miss Lathean said.
“Knowing CPR and knowing what you need to do the steps that you need to take in the first few minutes, it can really save someone’s life.”
Concerns with children not reaching the National Benchmarks for Swimming and Water Safety is rising, and urgent action is needed to be taken creating fears the issue could worsen over time if early education is not prioritised.
Source: Royal Life Saving Australia
Source: Royal Life Saving Australia
According to the American Heart Association people who have suffered from drowning are more likely to survive when CPR includes breaths, compared to when they receive compressions only, furthering the importance of knowing CPR.
Royal Life Saving Australia, CEO Dr Justin Scarr believes there are several factors contribute to fatal drownings and something needs to be done about it.
“This is a wake-up call, drowning deaths have surged to unprecedented levels,” Dr Scarr said.
“The decline in swimming skills, an ageing population, and more people heading to remote and unfamiliar locations away for lifesaving services are causing concern.”
The distribution of reported drowning deaths is heavily skewed towards younger age groups, highlighting a clear pattern of vulnerability in early childhood.
Source: United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
A push for awareness around water safety, swimming education, and CPR training continues to be highlighted as a key focus in addressing drowning risks.
Additional reporting: Caleb Arkapaw and Serena Farrington
