Drowning remains a key risk for young children in summer.
It is therefore crucial to ensure that at least one responsible adult is always actively supervising children whenever they have access to water.
Drowning in children is quick and silent, and a momentary lapse of supervision can be a matter of life and death.
Tragically, many drowning incidents occur when an adult wrongly assumes another adult is supervising, or when children are in the care of an older child rather than an adult.
Over the last decade, 197 children aged between 0–4 years have drowned in Australia, with 65 per cent of deaths occurring in a swimming pool or bathtub.
Royal Life Saving Australia Chief Executive Justin Scarr said restricting access points to water around the home was one way to prevent drowning.
“It is vital you keep constant watch and restrict access to water around the home,” he said.
“This is the time of year to check your pool fence and gate are in working order.
“If there is a lapse in supervision, a correctly installed and regularly maintained pool barrier can prevent your child from drowning.
“Always check you’ve closed the pool gate behind you, never leave the gate propped open, and restrict children’s access to outdoor areas without adult supervision.
“We are reminding parents and carers that kids can’t help themselves around water—you need to keep watch.”
