There were 30 drowning deaths in 2025-2026, the highest number in almost a decade, according to a Royal Life Saving Australia report that Australian Associated Press reports on. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Multiple deaths in single incidents
Of them, 14 involved more than one death, often related to boating, driving through floodwater, or people exploring unfamiliar environments, chief executive Justin Scarr said.
"The message is to know the swimming skills of all the people in your group," Justin Scarr said.
Largest spike since 2016-2017
It is the largest spike in deaths since 2016-2017, when 34 lives were lost. Over the past decade there have been with 229 deaths, or an average of 23 per year.
Demographics of victims
In the most recent year, 83% of drowning victims were men, 37% were born overseas and a quarter were aged between 65 and 74.
Leading circumstances
Nearly one-third of the fatal events were related to boating, while driving through floodwater and swimming were the other leading circumstances.
Conclusion
The Royal Life Saving Australia report calls for increased attention to water safety. According to Justin Scarr, it is important to know the swimming skills of all people in your group, especially when boating, driving through floodwater, and exploring unfamiliar environments.