Water safety in the spotlight after Victoria's worst drowning tragedy since 2005

Lifesavers are urging swimmers to take heed of water safety messages, after Victoria’s worst drowning tragedy in nearly 20 years.

Swimmers with surfboards enter the water between the life savers warning flags at Bondi Beach in Sydney Australia, Tuesday May 14, 2002. Life savers who patrol Australian beaches are coming under threat from spiraling liability insurance premiums following a Supreme Court decision Monday May 13, 2002 to award a 28-year-old swimmer Guy Swain $US2 million after he hit his head on a sandbar while swimming between the flags at Bondi Beach in November 1997. The accident left him paralyzed and he sued the local council.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith) Source: AP / ROB GRIFFITH/AP

They say it is important the safety message reaches everyone, including newly arrived migrants who are overrepresented in drowning deaths.

The number of drowning deaths in Australia since December [[1 Dec 2023 - 22 Jan 2024]] is already higher than the five-year average, with at least 66 incidents.[That is a 19 per cent increase from the previous year.]]

Those statistics include four deaths, involving Indian nationals at an unpatrolled beach off the coast of Phillip Island, southeast of Melbourne [[on Wednesday 24 Jan]].

It's the state's worst beach tragedy since 2005.

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