Being around water is part of everyday Australian life, whether it be at the beach, backyard pools and spas, rivers and creeks, public swimming pools or dams on farms. However, did you know that drowning is one of the major causes of unintentional death for Australian Children?

In 2017/18, 18 Australian children aged 0-4 years drowned. The majority of these incidents occurred in backyard swimming pools.

Toddlers can drown in as little as a few centimetres of water – this means that objects including buckets, inflatable/toddler wading pools, backyard ponds, eskies with melted ice and even pets drinking bowls can all pose a potential drowning hazard. Therefore, children require active adult supervision around water at all times; for toddlers, this means being within arm’s reach (e.g. in the pool or spa with them or beside them in the bath) so that you are able to help them stay safe.

For more information and tips on keeping children safe around water, please download our free water safety fact sheets below.

Play it Safe by the Water campaign

Kidsafe is proud to be a member of the Victorian Government’s ‘Play it Safe by the Water’ campaign. For more information on the campaign please visit www.watersafety.vic.gov.au.

Resources

Water Safety

Inflatable Above-Ground Swimming Pool Safety