All water is high-risk; many people drown.Learn more

Drownings

Before you get in, take two minutes. If you are not sure, don't swim.

  • Are you at a patrolled beach, and can you swim between the red and yellow flags?
  • Have you read the local signage and checked local advice?
  • Have you checked the forecast (weather, wind, swell, tide) and looked for rips?
  • Do you know where you will get in, and where you will get out?
  • Do your fitness and experience match today's conditions, with energy to spare?
  • Are you swimming with someone, or have you told someone on shore? Can you be seen, with a bright cap or tow float?
  • Have you left the alcohol alone?

Remember: even calm, safe-looking water can hold hidden hazards: submerged branches and reefs, sudden drop-offs, cold water, marine stingers, and crocodiles in far north Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern WA.

No water is risk-free, and conditions change fast. But some places are far safer than others. A patrolled beach, between the flags, is the safest place to swim in Australia.

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

Australia has averaged roughly 280 fatal drownings a year over the past decade, alongside roughly 3 times as many non-fatal drowning hospitalisations.

Latest figures

According to the National Drowning Report 2025, covering the 2024–2025 reporting period (published jointly by Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia):

  • 357 people drowned across Australia, 27% above the 10-year average and the highest number since records began.
  • Swimming and recreational water activities account for roughly 25% to 30% of all drowning fatalities.
  • Coastal locations (beaches, ocean, rock platforms) account for around 43% of drownings, while inland waterways (rivers, lakes, creeks) account for roughly 34%.
  • 10% of drowning deaths occurred in swimming pools (35 deaths), 68% of those in backyard pools. Deaths of children under five fell to 15, half of them in home swimming pools.
  • Rip currents remain Australia’s number one coastal hazard, responsible for more than 1 in 3 beach drowning deaths, more lives than sharks, floods or cyclones combined.

Further reading

Key resources

For safety warnings, advice, or real-time conditions before you swim, these are the official peak safety bodies:

Official statistics & national reports

Beach & ocean safety resources for swimmers

General public safety & water awareness