Are You Summer Ready: A Wake Up Call for Water Safety

Summer is around the corner — the time when we relax, reconnect with family and friends, head to the beach, pool or river. But it’s also the time when the water becomes riskier. The latest data from the National Drowning Report 2025 shows a sharp and alarming increase in drowning fatalities across Australia. That’s why we’re launching the Are You Summer Ready campaign: to make sure Australians not only enjoy our waterways — but stay safe around them.

Why we need this campaign — the hard facts:

• Australia recorded 357 drowning deaths between July 2024 and June 2025 — a 27% increase on the ten-year average.

• 43% of those deaths happened in coastal locations (154 deaths) and 34% in inland waterways including rivers, lakes and dams (122 deaths).

• Rivers/creeks remain one of the deadliest settings — 99 drowning deaths occurred in rivers alone.

• Swimming pools accounted for 10% of the deaths (35 fatalities) and of those, 68% were in backyard pools.

• The summer‐specific toll (Dec–Feb) also rose: 104 lives lost to drowning in summer 2024/25, up 5% on last summer and 14% on the five‐year average.

• Males continue to be vastly over-represented in drowning deaths (over 80 % in many categories).

These numbers are a wake-up call.

What the “Are You Summer Ready?” campaign means:

We’re asking every Australian: Are you ready? Not just physically, but mentally, behaviourally, and socially. The campaign invites you to check in on three key fronts:

1. Your knowledge of risk. Do you know the hidden hazards of rivers and remote inland waterways? Are you aware of rip currents at the beach? Have you checked your pool gates, your supervision, your environment?

2. Your personal preparedness. Feeling fit, alert, off medication if it affects your balance or swimming ability? Do you know your limits in the water, and are you ready to act if someone in your group gets into trouble?

3. Your family and community readiness. Are children supervised? Are non-swimmers supported? Is your group aware, and committed to staying safe, not just having fun? Because drowning prevention is as much about social behaviour as it is about swimming skill.

How to Get Summer Ready

Being Summer Ready means taking simple but life-saving steps before you hit the water.Royal Life Saving is encouraging all Australians to take five key actions this summer:

🟠 Learn the Risks

Understand the dangers of different waterways — beaches, rivers, and backyard pools each carry unique risks. Make informed choices about where and how you swim.

🟡 Enrol in Swimming Lessons

It’s never too early or too late to learn. Swimming lessons build confidence and save lives — for kids, adults, and older Australians returning to the water.

🔴 Update Your First Aid Skills

Knowing CPR and first aid could make the difference between life and death. Take a refresher course and ensure your whole family knows what to do in an emergency.

🟠 Prepare Your Home

Check pool fences, gates, and any water hazards around the home. Small changes — like a self-closing gate or a visible CPR sign — can prevent tragedy.

🟡 Get Active

Enjoy the water safely. Swimming, walking, and water exercise not only boost your health but help you stay confident and capable around aquatic environments.

How we’re rolling this out:

• Digital and social media tiles and videos under the hashtag #AreYouSummerReady.

• Community posters and checklists for families, pools, venues, schools — developed and available for download. (See campaign homepage.)

• Partnerships with water-management agencies, local councils and aquatic facilities to amplify the message in regions, especially remote and regional where drowning rates are higher.

• Engagement with regional communities to help bridge the equity gap in drowning risk.

Why it matters to you (and your workplace/facility):

Whether you manage a pool, organise children’s activities, are a parent, a teacher, a community leader or simply someone who loves being near water — this isn’t just a campaign. It’s a call to action. The rising drowning toll demands that each of us steps up. It’s not enough to “hope for the best” — we must be ready. Because when the water is involved, the margin for error is tiny. And a single moment of distraction or under-preparedness can cost a life.

Conclusion:

This summer, let’s go beyond “fun at the water”. Let’s commit to smart, safe, prepared time wherever we swim, sail, fish or splash. Let’s ask ourselves — Are You Summer Ready? And when the answer is “Yes”, you’ll not only enjoy more — you’ll protect more.

For more information and to download campaign resources, visit ARE YOU SUMMER READY