Kids drowning shock

QUEENSLAND’S love of the backyard pool is proving fatal, with a new report revealing the state has the highest number of infant and toddler drownings in Australia.

For the third year in a row the total number of people who drowned in the nation has increased, up nine deaths to 291.

Health Minister Greg Hunt called it “a national tragedy”.

But Royal Lifesaving Australia CEO Justin Scarr said Queensland was responsible for the increase and a significant number of those drownings were children under five.

The Sunshine State accounted for 13 of the 29 children aged 0-4 years old who drowned across Australia in 2016-17. It is the highest number of infant and toddler drownings in Queensland in almost a decade – and more than double the six fatalities in that age group the previous year.

According to Royal Lifesaving Australia figures, the high number of backyard pools in Queensland could be the reason for the high number of young deaths.

Nationally 45 per cent cent of these deaths were in the backyard pool – and Queensland has a higher ratio of backyard pools to people than any other state.

Mr Scarr said parents need to check their pool fences and gates and constantly watch their young ones around the pool in summer.

“This year, unfortunately, the increase actually stems from Queensland. We’ve seen a reasonable increase in young children with their lives lost,” he said.

“Once a child starts crawling, the backyard pool can be very, very dangerous, as with the bathtub or blow-up and portable pools, and so we need to constantly get the message out to parents.”

Mr Hunt said he had ordered a review of the national water safety approach, including the Commonwealth, State Governments and organisations.

Royal Life Saving Queensland CEO Michael Darben said Gold Coast families were particularly vulnerable.

“With children, and this is very important on the Gold Coast, for children under the age of five, supervision is the key, particularly due to the fact that there are so many backyard pools and a lot of canals.” lifesaving