Drowning Prevention: What Every Australian Parent Needs to Know

Royal Life Saving Australia reports more than 290 drowning deaths occur annually in Australia, with toddlers aged 1–3 the highest-risk group. What makes this statistic so devastating is that the majority of child drownings are preventable — and they happen not in the ocean, but in backyard pools, bathtubs, and garden water features, often in less than 30 seconds and without a sound. Drowning does not look like the movies.

What Drowning Actually Looks Like

In real life, drowning is almost entirely silent and fast. A child in distress cannot call for help because they are instinctively using all their strength to keep their airway above water. They cannot wave because their arms are pushing down to stay afloat. They are vertical in the water, head tilted back, often with eyes glassy or closed. This is why direct, uninterrupted supervision is the only reliable protection.

The Most Dangerous Scenarios for Children Under 5

Backyard swimming pools account for the majority of toddler drowning deaths in Queensland. Other high-risk environments include bathtubs (children should never be left alone, even briefly), portable wading pools left filled between uses, garden ponds and ornamental water features, and dams and creeks on rural properties. A child can drown in as little as 5 cm of water.

Pool Fence Laws in Queensland

Queensland law requires that all swimming pools be enclosed by a compliant fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate that opens outward. The fence must be at least 1.2 metres high and have no climbable objects within 900 mm. Importantly, the fence must separate the pool from the house — a house wall alone is not compliant. Pool owners who fail to maintain a compliant barrier face significant fines. Regularly checking latches and removing climbable objects near the fence is essential.

What to Do If You See Someone Drowning

Call 000 immediately. Do not enter the water unless you are a trained rescuer — a drowning person in panic can push you under. Instead, throw something that floats (a ball, a boogie board, a foam esky lid), extend something they can grab (a pool noodle, a towel, a rope), or encourage them to kick toward the edge. If they are unresponsive when brought from the water, begin CPR immediately and continue until paramedics arrive.

The Most Important Layer of Protection

No single measure eliminates drowning risk entirely. The safest approach is layered protection: pool fencing, direct adult supervision (one adult, one child, no distractions), swimming lessons from a young age, and knowing CPR. Horizon Training delivers nationally recognised first aid and CPR courses across the Sunshine Coast. Courses take less than half a day and the skills can last a lifetime — including a child's.

Sources and further reading

• National Drowning Report — Royal Life Saving Australia
• Pool safety laws — Queensland Government
• ANZCOR Guideline 9.3.2: Resuscitation of the Drowning Victim — Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation