Ash Bolt
Local swim schools are putting a renewed focus on water safety in an attempt to curb rising drowning statistics over the summer.
With COVID-19 forcing the closure of swim schools for parts of 2022, many children will be returning to lessons after a significant break.
Life Saving Victoria and Kidsafe Victoria have already raised concerns about water safety this summer, with five children under 10 having drowned in Victoria since July.
It follows a horror year across 2020-21, where 15 of the state’s 61 fatal drownings were children under the age of 14 years, representing Victoria’s worst child drowning toll in 20 years.
“After a terrible year for child drownings last year, we’re unfortunately once again seeing children over-represented in the drowning statistics this year, with one in six fatal drownings in Victoria since July 1, 2021 involving kids under the age of 10 years,” Life Saving Victoria health promotion and communications general manager Dr Bernadette Matthews said.
“Drowning should be preventable. We’re concerned people are underestimating the risks around water with fatal consequences.”
JUMP! Swim Schools chief executive Mark Collins said organisation’s Lara and Geelong West schools held a Water Safety Week this week to address the concerns, which included jumping into the pool fully clothed as a reminder that accidents could happen even when kids were not wearing their swimmers.
“The swim skills of many children have dropped as has their general awareness of water safety and what it means to be careful around the water,” he said.
“Meanwhile, children’s confidence around water tends to remain high as they expect they can swim just like they could last time they were in the water, but this is not always the case.”
