Adults, not children, must be the focus of Australia’s water safety messaging, experts have warned, as new data reveals they are most at risk of drowning during the school holidays. The findings come alongside evidence more Australians are seeking out – and finding themselves in trouble at – Insta-worthy, unpatrolled beaches, suggesting safety messages must move beyond “swim between the flags” as surf lifesavers ramp up surveillance activities across the coast.
New research from Surf Life Saving Australia, published in international journallast week, found drownings increased across all age groups during school holiday periods. In the first study of its kind, researchers analysed the timing and circumstances of more than 2600 Australian coastal deaths between July 2004 and June 2021, concluding that risk of drowning increased by almost 1.5 times during the holidays. The researchers warned that, while previous research on school holiday drowning had focused on children, the study showed a greater increase in drowning risk was actually seen in adult