Drowning levels stay high
Men pushing boundaries when it comes to safety around water
MORE than one person every week drowned in Queensland waterways last financial year – and paramedics on the Gold Coast say they have had a worse start this summer.
Three-quarters of the 62 drowning deaths recorded by the state in the year to June 30, 2020 were males.
The Sunshine State recorded the second-highest number of deaths in Australia’s waterways after NSW, which was responsible for 89 of the nation’s 248 fatalities. Tasmania and the ACT had the least deaths, with six and one, respectively.
A 21-year-old man from Victoria died in a canal near Broadbeach Waters on January 5 after an early morning swim, and Brisbane resident Alvin Prasad died after he went missing during a moonlit swim in December.
On January 6, a 17-year-old male narrowly escaped death after being found face down in the Gold Coast seaway and last month a toddler was rushed to hospital after a near drowning off SeaWorld Drive.
Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Will Houghton said paramedics were being called to more “post-immersion” incidents at beaches, waterways and pools, compared to the same time last year.
“Since December we’ve had 23 drownings or near drownings compared to 17 last December,” he said
According to the Royal Life Saving Society’s National Drowning Report 2020, 13 Queenslanders aged 55-64 died in waterways, another 10 were aged between 65-74, and nine were between 25-34. Six children aged between 0-4 also lost their lives.
Nearly one-third (31 per cent) of all drowning deaths in the state occurred in the ocean or harbour, with drowning deaths at the beach and rivers/ creeks each accounting for 19 per cent. Swimming pool drownings and lakes/dams both accounted for 13 per cent of drowning deaths.
Of the 248 Australians who died, 50 had pre-existing medical conditions, 27 were known to involve alcohol and 26 deaths involved drugs. Of the fatalities relating to drugs, 58 per cent related to prescription medication.
Royal Life Saving chief executive Justin Scarr said research showed that risk taking, use of alcohol and drugs, and the absence of appropriate safety precautions including life jackets were key factors in male drownings.
“Men taking risks and overestimating abilities continues to be our greatest challenge,” he said. “We urge men to look out for your mates, while holidaying, camping and boating on rivers and lakes,” he said.
“The 52 per cent decrease in drowning of children under five is real progress. However, we caution parents against complacency. Check your pool fence and gate, and always keep watch.”
According to the Surf Life Saving National Coastal Safety Report 2020, males continue to be over represented in coastal drowning data with 86 per cent for 2019-20 period.
The highest coastal drownings for 2019-20 were aged 20-24 years and 25-29 years.