Drowning deaths in young children are preventable. For more than 25 years, Keep Watch has been advising Australian parents and carers on how to keep their children safe around the water.
Over the past decade (2016 - 2026), 170 children aged 0 to 4 years lost their lives to drowning in Australia, almost half (49%) in swimming pools.
Alarmingly, 78% of children who drowned in swimming pools were not being directly supervised at the time of the incident. In 23% of cases, children had been without supervision for an estimated period of more than 15 minutes, while in 40% of cases, only one adult was present.
Active adult supervision remains the single most important way to prevent drowning among young children.
Drowning can happen quickly and silently. That is why supervision needs to be constant, without distractions from mobile phones, conversations, or other activities.
Whether children are swimming, playing near the pool or spending time around water, adults need to be actively engaged and ready to respond immediately. For children under five, this means being in the water with them when swimming, staying within arm's reach and actively interacting with them. Supervision must be 'eyes on' and 'hands on' at all times
Royal Life Saving is also urging families to check their pool fences and gates ahead of summer, particularly before hosting gatherings where young children may be visiting.
The latest research also found that 34% of swimming pool drowning cases involved children gaining access to the pool through a gate that had been left open.
Accidental falls into water remain the leading activity prior to drowning among young children (72%), reinforcing the importance of restricting access to water and maintaining constant adult supervision, even when children are not expected to be swimming.
For every toddler drowning death approximately eight children are admitted to hospital as a result of non-fatal drowning.
Royal Life Saving is asking all parents to Supervise, Restrict, Teach and Respond to keep their children safe around water. Because ‘Kids can’t help themselves around water, you need to. Keep Watch.’
When implemented together, these Keep Watch drowning prevention actions help to maximise child safety around water.
The Keep Watch program is proudly supported by the Australian Government.
Eyes on the prize
Prepare for the unexpected. Always Keep Watch.
Kids will be kids. And we love them all. Cute, funny, quiet, wild, angelic, studious, all of them with their own unique personalities, all of them unpredictable. One day the sidekick and the curious one the next, with everything in between. Which is why we love them even more!
But they have one thing in common: Kids can’t help themselves around water, you need to.
Keep Watch to keep your child safe around water.
Distractions are dangerous
Remain ever vigilant and always watching
Supervision is the single most important thing you can do to keep your children safe around water.
Any distraction is dangerous and puts young children at risk around water. Whether it is a phone or social media use, or carrying out everyday tasks, such as leaving a child unsupervised momentarily to cook, take the rubbish out or collect the washing, no task is worth your child’s life
