Most drownings happen in home swimming pools among children ages 1–4. About 40% of drownings among children 5-14 occur in natural water, and about 30% occur in swimming pools. More than half of fatal and nonfatal drownings among people 15 years and older occur in natural waters like lakes, rivers, or oceans.
Locations where drowning and submersions occur
Swimming pools are the most common location of drowning and submersion accidents that lead to hospital admission, closely followed by natural bodies of water (Table 1).
It highlights our research and analysis of fatal drowning of children aged 5 – 14 years across Australia between 1st July 2011 and 30th June 2021. During this time, 105 children aged 5 – 14 years drowned in Australia. On average there were 10 child (aged 5-14 years) drowning deaths per year.
Men account for 83% of all drowning. Alcohol and drugs, risk taking behaviour and men over-estimating their swimming ability are all considered key factors.
This report presents our analysis of fatal and non-fatal drowning across Australia between 1st July 2021 and 30th June 2022. During this time, 339 people lost their lives to drowning and we estimate a further 686 people experienced a non-fatal drowning incident.
90% of drowning cases occur in freshwaters such as rivers and pools. Drowning in fresh water and entering a large amount of pool or river water into the lungs and stomach is much more dangerous than swallowing a lot of sea water.
Australia-wide there have been 88 drowning deaths.
Coastal cliffs and rocky ledges (or rock platforms) contribute to around 1 in 5 drowning deaths in Australia. Fatalities occur particularly among rock fishers. People recreating on rocky coasts are often unprepared for entering the water or swimming (Kennedy et al.
drowning incidents are combined, a total of 1025 drowning incidents occurred in Australia, representing a crude drowning rate of 3.99 drowning incidents per 100,000 population.
Recent studies indicate that 1 in 5 children are leaving primary school unable to swim 50 metres (m) and low levels of water safety knowledge and awareness among Australian children have been consistently reported [7, 8, 10, 14].
Prosecutors said Merdy drowned her three children — 7-year-old Zachary Merdy, 4-year-old Liliana Stephens Merdy and 3-month-old Oliver Bondarev — in the ocean off of Coney Island beach, near West 35th Street, around 12:40 a.m. on Sept. 12.
Bondi Beach is considered the safest beach in Australia. It's one of the most popular beaches that has lifesavers patrolling the beach all day. Bondi Beach is considered the safest beach because of the number of patrolled lifeguards for those swimming, you should swim only on patrolled beaches.
Is it safe to swim at Australian beaches? The safest Australian beaches for swimming are the beaches patrolled by Lifeguards and Surf Lifesavers so always research the local patrolled beach closest to where you are staying. Follow these guidelines and you will have lots of fun at our beaches and safely return home.
Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast
While many flock to the Gold Coast for its aptly named Surfers Paradise, there are plenty of other beaches where locals like to wet their toes. Currumbin Beach is a beautiful inlet where you can safely swim in the warmer Queensland waters, or test your balance with stand-up paddleboarding.
A person can drown in less than 60 seconds.
It has been reported that it only takes 20 seconds for a child to drown and roughly 40 seconds for an adult—and in some cases, it can take as little as a ½ cup of water to enter the lungs for the phenomenon to occur.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 80 percent of people who die from drowning are male. This is thought to be because men are more likely to participate in swimming and water sports under the influence of drugs and alcohol. In addition, they are more likely forgo wearing a life jacket.
Immersion of the face in water (or other liquid). Water entering the mouth is spat out, swallowed or aspirated. Breath-holding, usually lasting no more than a minute. Vigorous breathing efforts.
Lack of swimming ability.
The most common cause of drowning is not knowing how to swim. Many adults and children will attempt to get into the water without proper swim training. Formal water safety and swimming lessons under the supervision of a lifeguard can dramatically decrease the risk of drowning.
Secondary drownings typically occur 5–8 hours after the initial incident. Symptoms include difficulty breathing such as coughing, wheezing, panting and shortness of breath without exertion. Lack of oxygen can also cause unexplained fatigue, unusual behavior, disorientation and slurred speech.
Globally, the highest drowning rates are among children 1–4 years, followed by children 5–9 years. Males are especially at risk of drowning, with twice the overall mortality rate of females. In the US, an average of 3,500 to 4,000 people drown per year.
The usual postmortem changes of vascular marbling, dark discoloration of skin and soft tissue, bloating, and putrefaction occur in the water as they do on land though at a different rate, particularly in cold water (4).