Ex-swimming teacher on spike in drowning deaths over summer in Australia and what needs to be done

After a summer of drowning horror and with deaths rising in recent years despite public safety campaigns, the question arises as to why so many Australians are getting into trouble on the water.

As of mid-January, 43 drowning deaths have been reported in Australia this summer alone, according to the Royal Life Saving Summer Drowning Toll.

Drownings among school-age children have shown a particularly strong increase in recent years.

And while kids are enrolling in swim lessons at a record rate with an estimated 1.7 million kids enrolled, a 20 percent increase in pre-pandemic enrollment, drowning deaths continue to rise, and this is the reason.

As a former swim teacher, I have helped many children on their journeys to learn to swim, but I have also witnessed where we are failing.

While much attention is paid to getting children and infants started lessons as early as possible, I have always been most concerned about the swimming ability of elementary school-age children, and the data supports this view.

When first introduced into the water during lessons, children are very hesitant to get into the water, well aware of the discomfort of swallowing water and of not being able to fully control their body movement, especially when they cannot touch the water. bottom.

Even children who have several lessons under their belt can panic when they swallow water, get splashed, or when another child or an outside force interferes with their balance.

These children are often full of confidence, but as soon as they lose control or something unexpected happens, they panic; that’s when drownings happen.

Usually, parents keep babies under a watchful eye when they are in and around the water, but as the child grows older, along with their confidence, parents pay less and less attention to what their children are doing in the water. water, sometimes even leaving them completely unattended.

Children may have lessons for a short period in their early developmental years when the focus is on learning how to float, hold your breath, and swim back to the edge.

However, these basics can be forgotten when a child falls, swallows water, and panics; this is why swimming lessons for many years are vital.

Like any skill, if you don’t continue to practice it, your skill will regress. Swimming is no different.

So just because your child knew the basics of how to survive if they fell into a pool two years ago, or what to do if they got caught in a current at the beach, doesn’t mean they can be saved now.

Another problem is that while children can learn to swim in a pool, as they get older they may not necessarily be given the tools to deal with swimming in oceans and rivers.

Knowledge of how to navigate hazards like currents and rips usually requires many years of swimming experience.

A good indicator of your child’s ability to rescue himself if he is having trouble in the water is if he can swim 50 meters of any stroke. If the answer is no, then that is something that needs to be addressed.

While there are now 300,000 more children enrolled in swimming lessons compared to pre-pandemic levels, growth is among the youngest in Australia and has seriously missed the seven to 12-year-old age group.

Royal Life Saving chief executive Justin Scarr told Daily Mail Australia he has grave fears for children of primary school age, especially considering many have not learned to swim during the pandemic.

“Recent data shows that swimming lessons have increased by 30 percent with most of the growth … in the younger segment,” Scarr said.

“However, long-term research shows that children typically drop out of lessons between the ages of six and eight and with the pandemic, those children who were five, six and seven years old did not learn to swim then and are not learning to swim. now.’

Mr Scarr believes it becomes more difficult to get children to attend classes when they reach primary school age, as most children have two working parents, which restricts availability on weekdays, while the weekends are full of other sports and commitments.

“Children aged eight and over are bombarded with football and netball registrations, parties and gatherings… It’s hard to convince parents to sign up such children for lessons,” he said.

“I just urge parents to take a close look at how their school-age children are doing in the water compared to their peers.

‘Can your child from 7 to 12 years old swim at least 50 meters? If the answer is no, he should go to the local pool and sign them up for lessons.’

With a lack of lessons for children of primary school age, there is a fear that they will reach their teens and early 20s unprepared for more risky swimming activities.

Scarr echoed this sentiment and believes drowning statistics will worsen by 2030 as these children become teenagers.

“The lessons are about keeping kids safe this summer, but even more so for many summers to come, particularly as they approach their teens, when they’re more likely to go in the water without parental supervision,” Scarr said. .

“The data shows that teens are less likely to camp near lifeguards and go to more secluded locations.

“While we need to focus on the looming problem of drowning, we also need to take a broader view that the seven-year-old who can’t swim today without intervention will be 15 by 2030 and very vulnerable to drowning.”

“The importance of returning school-age children to swimming and water safety programs cannot be underestimated.”

The 2022 National Drowning Report showed a 36% increase in drownings among school-age children (ages five to 14) compared to the 10-year average.

Alarmingly, all age groups except children under five reported an increase in drowning deaths.