Warning after 41 Aussies drown in 36 days

After a tragic start to the summer holidays with a spate of drownings, experts are warning more deaths could be on the horizon.

Australia has recorded 41 drowning deaths since December 1.

Dr Will Koon, the national manager of drowning prevention strategy at Royal Life Saving Australia, said the swimming capabilities of Australians are not what they used to be.

He said more needs to be done to combat declining swimming abilities.

“We are very fearful that swimming skills are decreasing in this country, we really need a big-picture strategy where Aussie children are given the skills they need to survive.”

Australia has a long and proud history of swimming education, which is a mandatory component of the curriculum in many states.

Despite this, Dr Koon said the opportunities for children to gain the skills they need to survive are drying up for a variety of reasons.

“The availability and accessibility of local swimming pools as our population grows and becomes more dense is one factor, and there is also an increasing financial barrier where people no longer have the means to put their kids through swimming lessons.”

“If you have to choose between sending your kids to swimming lessons and putting food on the table, that’s a non-starter.”

Australians have been battling a cost-of-living crisis for about two years, with many under budget pressures thanks to inflation and high interest rates.

WARNING COMES AMID HORROR START TO SEASON

Dr Koon’s warning comes after a wave of holiday drownings has put the country on track to match last years disturbing toll.

NSW is leading the pack with 12 fatalities while Queensland is not far behind at 10.

While most of the fatalities appear to be overwhelmed swimmers, this summer has also seen an alarming number of boating and jet ski-related tragedies.

Just this weekend, Victoria saw two major jet ski accidents, with three riders injured after being flung into the water following a boat collision at Safety Beach, while a similar incident at Rye Beach saw a man pulled dead from the water on Saturday.

Experts are cautioning parents to remain vigilant with young children after a recent spate of tragedies.

In Western Australia, a whole family was destroyed on Friday, December 27 when two heroic parents drowned trying to save their now orphaned daughter at Cliff Beach.

Across the country in Victoria, a family found themselves living every parent’s worst nightmare.

The family was plunged into anxiety when their eight-year-old son went missing around 11.20am in the Mitchell River near Cobbannah in East Gippsland.

After an extensive police search from both the ground and air, that anxiety turned to unimaginable grief when the boy was found dead in the water at about 2.50pm.

The Gippsland tragedy is also an example of the type of river and creek-related drownings that are also on the rise this year.

That same day, distraught parents laid five-year-old Western Sydney boy Essa Dennaoui to rest one week after his body was pulled lifeless from the Georges River.

All up, four Aussies under the age of 17 have lost their lives in the last month, but authorities say the most pressing risks are to those aged 65 years or older, who last year drowned at rates 2-3 times higher than Children under the age of five.

In a shocking case midway through last month, a 65-year-old woman could not be resuscitated after being pulled from the water by 13-year-old members of the Gerringong Surf Life Saving Club.

As the summer period continues, authorities continue to warn swimmers of all different ages and backgrounds to stay vigilant.

Speaking to NewsWire, Victorian Life Saving’s state agency commander, Kane Treloar said, “everyone has a responsibility to take care of each other and make sure everyone comes home safe.

“The best way to do that is to head to the Beach Safe website so you can find a safe place to swim, and where possible always swim between the flags.”