Published 4 December 2024

This summer, from 1 December 2024 to 28 February 2025, Royal Life Saving Australia will again provide daily updates on the National Summer Drowning Toll to assist the media, community, government and water safety organisations.

Last summer, 134 lives were lost, averaging at least one drowning per day. Older adults were particularly at risk, being 39% of deaths. 27% of victims were people born overseas.

These statistics underscore the heightened risk of drowning during the summer months and highlight the importance of targeted water safety measures.

Royal Life Saving urges everyone to enjoy the water safely by preparing BEFORE heading out. The media can play a vital role in preventing tragedies by sharing safety information and warnings.

National Summer Drowning Toll (Including Data Dashboard)  
The National Summer Drowning Toll can be found at summerdrowningtoll.com.au

Bookmark it for regular updates across the summer. The site features an interactive dashboard to compare current data with last summer and the five-year average, with filters for state or national insights.

If you need something specific, for example localised data, please contact us.

Terminology
Drowning can have more than one outcome, referred to as fatal drowning (death) or non-fatal drowning. It is incorrect to refer to a “near-drowning”. Instead, this should be described as a “non-fatal drowning”. By using the correct terminology, you are helping us to raise awareness and spread important safety messages.

Media Resources
The Royal Life Saving Media Centre can be found at https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/media-centre and includes resources such as b-roll and related images for news outlets.

We hope the media will visit these websites regularly and contact Media Key (03 9769 6488 or 0409 420 112) for comment. Royal Life Saving spokespeople will be available across Australia for comment throughout summer.

Yours sincerely,
Justin Scarr
Chief Executive Officer
Royal Life Saving Society – Australia