Australia’s Nationwide Drowning Report 2025 has revealed an alarming 27 per cent rise in drowning deaths towards the 10-year common, with 357 lives misplaced prior to now 12 months. The report from Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia locations a major concentrate on water security inside multicultural communities.
This concern resonates strongly with group chief Harpreet Kandra, a Senior Lecturer at Federation College and group volunteer, who attended the report’s launch in Canberra immediately. The findings validate the crucial want for the engagement and teaching programs he advocates for.
“The report confirms what we in multicultural communities have identified for a while: there’s a harmful hole in water security data and abilities,” Kandra mentioned after the report’s launch. “We’re a nation of migrants, drawn to Australia’s stunning seashores and waterways, however we regularly come from nations the place swimming isn’t a core a part of the tradition. This may have tragic penalties.”
The statistics paint a regarding image. Australia recorded 357 drowning deaths final 12 months—27 per cent above the 10-year common and highlighting a rising water security disaster. Youngsters underneath 5 fared higher, with 15 deaths, half of which occurred in house swimming pools, whereas drowning charges surged for 15–24-year-olds and older adults, who made up a 3rd of fatalities.
Coastal places claimed 43 per cent of lives, inland waterways 34 per cent, and folks in deprived, regional, and distant areas confronted double to triple the danger of metropolis residents. Greater than a 3rd of drowning victims have been born abroad, and most states noticed rising deaths, significantly South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.
Drowning deaths elevated in South Australia (24, +71%), Queensland (90, +36%), Western Australia (49, +36%), New South Wales (129, +30%), and Victoria (52, +8%).
Royal Life Saving Australia CEO Dr Justin Scarr mentioned, “It is a wake-up name. Drowning deaths have surged to unprecedented ranges.”
Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia attribute the surge in drowning to a number of elements: extra folks venturing into nationwide parks and regional waterways, way of life and local weather adjustments growing time spent round water, and swimming abilities at disaster ranges significantly amongst youngsters, regional, distant, and migrant communities.
An ageing inhabitants with lowered mobility and well being challenges, and deprived or multicultural populations with restricted entry to swimming classes and protected amenities, are additionally contributing.
The report identifies folks from multicultural backgrounds as a precedence inhabitants within the Australian Water Security Technique 2030, a recognition of the stark overrepresentation of overseas-born people in drowning statistics.
The Officer Gurudwara’s efforts, which Kandra spearheads, align carefully with suggestions within the Nationwide Drowning Report, which highlights that swimming abilities are at disaster ranges in regional, distant, and migrant communities.
Over the previous few years, Kandra has spearheaded swimming classes, water security consciousness periods, and group advocacy campaigns geared toward migrants and seniors, typically partnering with Lifesaving Victoria and native councils. The applications concentrate on culturally tailor-made engagement, serving to newcomers overcome language boundaries and entry protected swimming amenities.
The report’s launch, attended by Federal Minister for Communications and Sport, the Hon Anika Wells MP, requires nationwide vigilance and easy precautions. “With some easy steps, we will all benefit from the water safely,” Wells mentioned, urging supervision of youngsters, swimming classes, lifesaving abilities, lifejacket use, and swimming between the purple and yellow flags.
Dr Scarr highlights a disaster in swimming proficiency, noting that “half of all youngsters go away major college unable to swim 50 metres,” an issue worse in regional, distant, and migrant communities.
Surf Life Saving Australia CEO Adam Weir provides that coastal drowning stays a serious concern, with seashores, oceans, and rocks accounting for 43 per cent of drowning deaths.
The federal authorities has dedicated over $34 million to sport security and drowning prevention.
However top-down messages want on-the-ground champions.
“It is a shared duty,” Kandra says. “Our locations of worship and group organisations are dedicated to being a part of the answer. We’re spreading the phrase that in Australia, water security isn’t just a talent—it’s a necessary a part of settling in and maintaining your loved ones protected.”
As Australia heads right into a forecast hotter and wetter summer season, the collaboration between lifesaving businesses and multicultural communities represents an important lifeline within the mission to forestall additional tragedy.
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⚠️Australia’s #drowning deaths rise 27% to 357, above 10-year common. 🏊Multicultural & regional communities most in danger. 🌊Report requires pressing water security #training & #swimming classes. #TheIndianSun @RoyalLifeSaving @JustinScarr @AnikaWells
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