Authorities are urging people to be careful on the water after a spate of drownings in Victoria and New South Wales.
Key points:
- Seven people have died in Victorian waterways in the past 10 days, while several others have drowned in NSW
- Victoria reported record drownings in the second half of 2020
- Surf Life Saving Australia is urging people to take extra care while swimming
The warning comes as a heatwave in south-east Australia sees residents looking for respite in the water.
Seven people have died in Victorian waterways in the past 10 days alone, while several others have drowned in NSW.
Among them was the death of a 20-year-old man off Coffs Harbour on Thursday. It was followed by the drownings of three men off Port Kembla, in Illawarra region.
In Victoria on Saturday two people died in separate incidents.
In the first incident, a small vessel carrying two men overturned at Anglesea, roughly 100km south-west of Melbourne, along Victoria's Surf Coast.
A 58-year-old man was pulled from the water by lifesavers who attempted to revive him, but he died at the scene.
The other man on the boat was able to swim to shore to raise the alarm.
Further up the coast, a second man died after he was pulled from the water at Barwon Heads.
Shane Daw, general manager of coastal safety at Surf Life Saving Australia, said large surf and water-goers' failure to take enough care were behind the rise in drownings.
"There's a bit of complacency about understanding where we're going and people not taking safety precautions about swimming between the flags, or not wearing life jacket and putting themselves in risky situations," Mr Daw told Weekend Breakfast.
"Through the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) or the State Emergency Service (SES) ... [they] have actually put out warnings about large surf.
"We're asking you to heed the advice of those authorities."
Of the people who have died in the past week, several have been fishermen either in boats or rock fishing.
"If you're going to be at these locations, think about your own safety," Mr Daw said.
"Wear a life jacket, wear the appropriate gear, let someone know where you're going.
"But also, don't take those risks. Your life's not worth it."
Latest drownings part of grim trend
The multiple deaths in the past week have contributed to a spike in drownings in recent months.
Victoria reported a record number of drownings from July to December last year.
By mid-December there had been 27 deaths — 11 more than the state's 10-year average.
That figure led to a plea from Victoria's Emergency Services Minister, Lisa Neville.
"Our water safe message is for everyone: Be prepared, be vigilant, swim between the flags, do not swim alone and do not use alcohol … before you go swimming," Ms Neville said.
However, despite her warning, the drownings continued, including three deaths in separate incidents that rocked Victoria on January 13.
Helicopters were used to winch several swimmers to safety at Bushrangers Bay, where one woman died.
A second woman died at Venus Bay in Gippsland after trying to help a teenage girl who was struggling in the water.
A man in his 80s was pulled unconscious from the water in Rye and could not be revived.
In Queensland, two men in their 30s drowned at an unpatrolled beach in the northern part of the Sunshine Coast.
Heatwave and COVID-19 contributing to deaths
Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp has warned of the dangers of people not being fit enough to go swimming.
For some time, COVID-19 restrictions had prevented many people from leaving their home, except for essential reasons.
Now able to swim again, and with a heatwave pushing the mercury up, many people are heading to the water.
Mr Crisp warned people to know their limitations before they went swimming.
"We know that because of COVID and the lockdown, a lot of children haven't had swimming lessons, a lot of Victorians haven't been able to get out and about, [they're] generally not as fit as they might have been 12 months ago," he said.
"Just be so well aware of what your own limitations are and please, in coastal areas, just swim between the flags."
Pools, creeks and waterholes also claiming lives
The drownings this summer have not been isolated to the coastline.
In the Hunter region of NSW, a local community is reeling following a 13-year-old girl's drowning at a popular local pool.
Zainab Zainab was pulled unconscious from a swimming pool at Maitland Aquatic Centre on January 15.
She later died in hospital.
"This is a country where swimming is a part of life and for someone to die in a swimming pool is not good," Muslim community elder Forough Dorani said.
Earlier in the year, a NSW Police senior constable drowned while attempting to save a Chinese international student.
The student was tipped off a lilo while canyoning in the Blue Mountains, in Greater Sydney.
NSW Police officer Senior Constable Kelly Foster tried to rescue her but drowned in the attempt.
Meanwhile, south of Canberra, a father and his 11-year-old daughter drowned at a popular swimming spot in the Murrumbidgee River, near Tharwa.
Police said it appeared the father had entered the water in an attempt to save his daughter.
Swimmers urged to stop and look before entering water
The sheer size of the Australian continent means most swimming spots cannot be patrolled.
This leaves safety up to individuals.
Mr Daw told Weekend Breakfast that Surf Life Saving Australia was encouraging a "stop, look, plan" approach.
"By that, we mean stop and check for any dangers or hazards," he said.
"Can you recognise if the water doesn't look right?"
Along with water currents, Mr Daw also said water-goers should be on the lookout for submerged objects, including trees.
He also recommended having a lifejacket nearby because people were often at risk when they entered the water to help others.
"We've had a few people drown as a result of going to rescue others," Mr Daw said.
"[Think to yourself]: 'Have I got my lifejacket, have I got something that can help me float if I do have to go and rescue somebody?'"
Finally, Mr Daw said people should ask others for information if they were unsure about getting in the water.
"Look for fishermen or if there are other people who can advise you of any risks there might be in that location," he said.
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2021-01-24 03:03:00Z
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