The Conversation – Michael O’Shea, Hazel Maxwell, and Megan Stronarch
Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death from injury worldwide. From July 2018 to June 2019, 276 people drowned across Australia – a 10% increase on the previous year. Among those were 19 children under four years old, eight children between five and 14 and a further 45 young people aged 15-24. As temperatures soared this summer, 53 more people drowned at Australian beaches, rivers and pools including six children. There were also 584 non-fatal drownings requiring hospitalisation, and many unreported near-tragedies.