NSW SUMMER DROWNING REPORT - 2017/18 AN INVESTIGATION INTO DROWNING IN NSW - Water Safety NSW
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NSW
SUMMER
DROWNING
REPORT
2017/18
AN INVESTIGATION INTO
DROWNING IN NSW
SUPPORTED BYABOUT ROYAL LIFE SAVING
Royal Life Saving is focused on reducing drowning and
promoting healthy, active and skilled communities
through innovative, reliable, evidence based advocacy;
strong and effective partnerships; quality programs,
products and services; underpinned by a cohesive and
sustainable national organisation.
Royal Life Saving is a public benevolent institution (PBI)
dedicated to reducing drowning and turning everyday
people into everyday community lifesavers. We achieve
this through: advocacy, education, training, health
promotion, aquatic risk management, community
development, research, sport, leadership and
participation and international networks.
© 2018 Royal Life Saving Society – Australia
This publication is copyright. Except as expressly provided in the
Copyright Act 1968 and the Copyright Amendment Act 2006, no
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Printed copies of this document are available upon request.
Please contact:
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NSW 2007 Australia
Phone: 02 8217 3111
Email: info@rlssa.org.au
Royal Life Saving Society – Australia
The drowning prevention research of the Royal Life Saving Society –
Australia is proudly supported by the Australian Government.
Suggested Citation:
Mahony, A, Peden, AE (2018) NSW summer drowning
report 2017/18: An investigation into drowning in NSW
between 1 December 2017 and 28 February 2018,
This report was commissioned
Royal Life Saving Society – Australia. Sydney.
and funded by the NSW
Government in response to
the drowning deaths in NSW
royallifesaving.com.au during summer 2017/18.INTRODUCTION METHODS AND DEFINITIONS
Summer 2016/17 in NSW saw an increase Summer 2017/18
in fatal drowning, particularly between For this investigation, reports of all drowning and water-
related cases between 1 December 2017 and 28 February
Christmas and New Year, resulting in 2018 were collated and assessed for relevance. Cases
extensive media coverage. In response were sourced from several methods including media
monitoring, the National Coronial Information System
to the increase in drowning deaths, the (NCIS) and de-identified police reports obtained from
NSW Government commissioned a report NSW Police in conjunction with the Coroner’s Court of
NSW. This report contains information known as of 19
investigating drowning deaths over the April 2018. At the time of completing this report, 88.9%
summer period. The key findings of the ‘NSW of cases remain under coronial investigation and as
such, the information presented in this report is subject
Summer Drowning Report 2016/17’ were to change. NSW population data was sourced from the
presented at the inaugural NSW Water Safety Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Forum, with stakeholders invited to discuss
Historical Drowning Data
the findings and strategies for reducing the Historical drowning data were sourced from the Royal
summer drowning toll in future years. Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database. Royal Life
Saving excludes drowning deaths known to be intentional
(e.g. suicide, homicide), or due to natural causes.
Following the 2017/18 summer season, the
NSW Government again commissioned an Visitor Status
investigation into drowning over summer The distance between the incident and residential
postcode was determined using Google Maps. A distance
(1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018). By of less than 100km was considered ‘not a visitor’, more
analysing these events, the investigation than 100km but within the same state was ‘visitor -
sought to bring clarification and insight to the intrastate’, a different state was ‘visitor - interstate’ and
an overseas residential postcode as ‘visitor – overseas’.
period, and inform prevention efforts. Key In cases where the incident or resident postcode was
trends relating to sex, age, ethnicity, location, unknown, this was entered as ‘unknown’.
activity and risk factors are identified, as Remoteness Classification
well emerging issues related to high-risk There are five remoteness classifications used to
populations, locations and activities. categorise the location of a drowning incident. These
are major cities, inner regional, outer regional, remote
and very remote. Remoteness classification was defined
by cross referencing the postcode of a drowning
incident with the Australian Standard Geographical
Classification – Remoteness Area (ASGC-RA) system.
Time of Drowning Incident
The time of day of the drowning incident was coded
into four bands: early morning (12:01am to 6am),
morning (6:01am to 12pm), afternoon (12:01pm to
6pm) and evening (6:01pm to 12am).
Non-Fatal Drowning
Non-fatal drowning cases were sourced from
ambulance records and hospitalisation data. As current
hospitalisation figures are not yet available, a NSW-
specific historical ratio of 1 fatal drowning to 2.6 non-
fatal drowning incidents (hospitalisations) was used to
estimate the relevant figure.
Disclaimer
Please note the fatal drowning statistics presented in
this report are interim and subject to change pending
the outcome of ongoing coronial investigations.
3NEW SOUTH WALES SUMMER DROWNING REPORT:
AN INVESTIGATION INTO DROWNING DEATHS
OVERALL
36 PEOPLE DROWNED IN NSW BETWEEN
1 DECEMBER 2017 & 28 FEBRUARY 2018
TRENDS OVER TIME
1 December – 25 December – 3 January – 1 February – Total (1 December
Financial year 24 December 2 January 31 January 28 February to 28 February)
Number of deaths
Historical drowning deaths
2007/08 9 4 13 9 35
2008/09 5 4 21 15 45
2009/10 6 5 16 11 38
2010/11 7 3 12 12 34
2011/12 7 3 8 7 25
2012/13 7 5 8 13 33
2013/14 9 3 6 14 32
2014/15 10 6 9 8 33
2015/16 6 2 16 10 34
2016/17 11 16 8 4 39
Drowning deaths (known as at 24 April 2017)
2017/18 8 7 11 10 36
Ten year average
(2007/08- 016/17) 8 5 12 10 35
Selection of news headlines about NSW summer drowning incidents.
4WHO DROWNS?
SUMMER 2017/18 SUMMER 2016/17
(1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018) (1 December 2016 to 28 February 2017)
SEX SEX
81% 77%
19% 23%
KEY LIFE STAGES KEY LIFE STAGES
22% 18-24 YEARS 21% 25-34 YEARS
19% 45-54 YEARS 15% 0-4 YEARS
25-34 YEARS
14% 35-44 YEARS 15% 55-64 YEARS
VISITOR STATUS VISITOR STATUS
58% NOT A VISITOR 77% NOT A VISITOR
17% VISITOR (INTERSTATE) 13% VISITOR (INTERSTATE)
14% VISITOR (INTRASTATE) 8% VISITOR (INTRASTATE)
11% VISITOR (OVERSEAS) 3% VISITOR (OVERSEAS)
5WHERE, WHEN AND HOW DO THESE DROWNING DEATHS OCCUR?
SUMMER 2017/18 SUMMER 2016/17
(1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018) (1 December 2016 to 28 February 2017)
LOCATION OF DROWNING INCIDENT LOCATION OF DROWNING INCIDENT
SWIMMING
36% BEACH 26% POOL
RIVER/CREEK/ RIVER/CREEK/
25% STREAM 23% STREAM
BEACH
11% ROCKS 18% ROCKS
REMOTENESS CLASSIFICATION OF DROWNING REMOTENESS CLASSIFICATION OF DROWNING
44% INNER REGIONAL 54% MAJOR CITIES
36% MAJOR CITIES 33% INNER REGIONAL
19% OUTER REGIONAL 13% OUTER REGIONAL
ACTIVITY PRIOR TO DROWNING ACTIVITY PRIOR TO DROWNING
SWIMMING & SWIMMING &
44% RECREATING 33% RECREATING
11% BOATING 26% FALL
FALL
8% NON-AQUATIC
TRANSPORT 13% JUMPED IN
UNKNOWN
6WHERE, WHEN AND HOW DO THESE DROWNING DEATHS OCCUR?
SUMMER 2017/18 SUMMER 2016/17
(1 December 2017 to 28 February 2018) (1 December 2016 to 28 February 2017)
DAY OF WEEK OF DROWNING INCIDENT DAY OF WEEK OF DROWNING INCIDENT
42% SUNDAY 28% MONDAY
17% SATURDAY 21% SUNDAY
14% FRIDAY 15% TUESDAY
TIME OF DAY OF DROWNING INCIDENT TIME OF DAY OF DROWNING INCIDENT
AFTERNOON AFTERNOON
67% (12:01PM TO 6PM) 56% (12:01PM TO 6PM)
EVENING EVENING
17% (6:01PM TO 12AM) 26% (6:01PM TO 12AM)
MORNING MORNING
11% (6:01AM TO 12PM) 10% (6:01AM TO 12PM)
7WHY DO THESE DROWNING DEATHS OCCUR?
MEDICAL CONDITIONS, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS HIGH RISK POPULATIONS
PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE
WERE KNOWN TO OF PEOPLE WHO
28% INVOLVE A PRE-EXISTING
MEDICAL CONDITION
14% DROWNED WERE BORN
OUTSIDE OF AUSTRALIA
Common medical conditions: Countries of birth included China, India,
Nepal & Vietnam
• Cardiac conditions
(e.g. ischaemic heart disease)
• Respiratory conditions (e.g. asthma)
• Epilepsy LIFEJACKET WEAR
OF PEOPLE BOATING &
ROCK FISHING WERE NOT
ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 33% WEARING A LIFEJACKET
(UNKNOWN IN A FURTHER
50% OF CASES)
8% ALCOHOL
ILLICIT
3% DRUGS
*These figures are likely to underestimate the
prevalence of alcohol and drug consumption as
coronial investigations are ongoing
8NON-FATAL DROWNING
AMBULANCE RECORDS HOSPITALISATIONS
143 PATIENTS TREATED HOSPITALISATIONS
93 ESTIMATED
60% MALE
*Based on NSW-specific historical ratio of
1 fatal drowning to 2.6 non-fatal drowning
40% FEMALE incidents (hospitalisations)
SUMMER CAUSAL FACTORS
INCREASED POPULATION AND DENSITY EXPOSURE
18% INCREASE
IN VISITATION AT SURF LIFE SAVING
POPULATION
1.6% GROWTH IN NSW
NSW PATROLLED BEACHES OVER
DECEMBER 2017 AND JANUARY 2018
42% DECREASE
In the year to September 2017, NSW IN VISITATION BETWEEN CHRISTMAS
AND NEW YEAR AT SURF LIFE
experienced its fastest population growth in SAVING NSW PATROLLED BEACHES
8 years
Significant increase in density, particularly 7% INCREASE
IN PERSONS RESCUED
in Sydney, with plans for 2.4 million WHILE BOATING
additional residents over the next 30 years
3% DECREASE
IN VESSEL LOGONS
MEDIA COVERAGE
Changes in visitation were recorded at a
MEDIA REPORTS ON sample of NSW public pools
SUMMER DROWNING
1,367 INCIDENTS NATIONALLY,
INC. 1,001 (73%) IN NSW
WEATHER & THE CONCEPT
OF SWIMMABLE DAYS
MILLION CUMULATIVE
90 AUDIENCE
Swimmable days were
defined as days where the
27°C temperature was over 27°C
without any rainfall
Between Christmas and New Year (25 December 2017
MILLION VALUE
$9.7 (ADVERTISING SPACE RATE)
to 2 January 2018), 2 of the 9 days were swimmable
days – consistent with the ten year average of 2
9SUMMER CAUSAL FACTORS
News websites referenced
PROMOTION OF SECRET SWIMMING SPOTS http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-29/one-dead-after-
boat-capsize-at-kurnell/9292192
INCREASED PROMOTION OF https://www.portnews.com.au/story/5125952/tragedy-at-
“SECRET” “HIDDEN” NATURAL flynns-beach-friends-remember-a-sporty-mate/
SWIMMING LOCATIONS
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/new-
confronting-ads-to-be-rolled-out-across-nsw-in-a-bid-to-
end-last-summers-drowning-toll/news-story/51731e5261a
a65290c80a019de963ca0
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/toddler-drowns-in-
portable-pool-in-sydney-on-christmas-ev
Headlines promoting the “secret”, “hidden” and http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-07/nsw-police-have-
grave-concerns-for-11yo-swept-out-to-sea/9237322
“best” swimming locations in the lead up to, and
during summer http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/
nsw-ambulance-warns-of-summer-dangers-
particularly-around-water/news-story/
ee897d837a18deee7670221bf194552a
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/man-drowns-on-
nsw-far-north-coast-on-christmas-day-20171226-h0a1t3.
html
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/
murrumbidgee-river-deadly-wagga-waterway-claims-
another-life-after-28yearold-vanishes/news-story/45f679c
c73f96a215761ab5bd253e5b3
http://www.afr.com/real-estate/population-grows-at-
fastest-rate-in-3-years-as-nsw-qld-pick-up-20180322-
h0xtrk
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/three-visions-for-
sydney-s-density-as-2-4-million-more-people-call-it-home-
20180222-p4z1c5.html
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/
best-swimming-spots-in-nsw/news-story/
b64f12e0147bf893a0089b1fbff3ce5e
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-
life/seven-secret-swimming-spots-on-the-south-coast-
20171207-h00oig.html
https://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/a-list/best-
swimming-spots-nsws-south-coast
https://awol.junkee.com/nsw-australia-best-hidden-
beaches/51450
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/western-
sydney-locals-cool-off-in-their-own-backyard/news-story/
2406b494e89f4de2903d930fa7df0f82?login=1
https://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/a-list/best-natural-
swimming-spots-sydney
10FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Email info@rlssa.org.au
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