“One drowning is one too many” - Royal Life Saving NSW calls for zero drownings target
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Following another deadly summer in which 29 people drowned, Royal Life Saving NSW has today urged the community to work with them and aim for a target of zero drownings.
The 2025-26 summer drowning toll in NSW was the highest rate of lives lost to drowning of any state. With spikes occurring over the Christmas and New Year holiday periods, heatwaves, and long weekends, RLS NSW Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ilinsky, said drowning trends mirror the tragic impact on families and communities due to lives lost on NSW roads. He has called on policy makers to urgently address the disparity in the community’s approach to drowning prevention.
“Road safety in Australia is guided by a clear principle: Towards Zero, which recognises that no death is acceptable and that prevention, education, infrastructure, and enforcement must work together to save lives. The community’s approach to drowning prevention requires the same mindset,”
Mr Ilinsky said.
“The principle of a zero-target campaign should not stop at the water’s edge. Enjoying our rivers, pools and waterways should not be a matter of luck. If we truly believe that one road death is one too many, then we must accept the same for drowning.
“For decades, drowning has been treated as a lower order public safety issue, with drowning prevention relying on short-term grants, seasonal campaigns, and volunteer services. We need an equivalent Safe System approach to water safety.”
Royal Life Saving NSW recommends:
Prioritising the system by planning for renewal and equitable distribution of community pools and swimming areas with 40% of Australia’s pools ageing and under threat of closing
Urgently address the growing issue of waiting lists to access swimming lessons - particularly impacting regional areas
Prioritise swimming skills among children and adults to reverse a dangerous decline with one in 10 Australian children 5-14 never having had a swimming lesson
Mr Ilinsky said an unacceptably high rate of men (93%) and older adults (65%) are represented in summer drownings in NSW.
“There is a compelling need for targeted interventions and decades of evidence highlight the community gains from a coordinated, concerted focus on premise that no deaths are acceptable,” he added.
“Most drownings are preventable and the good news is that prevention works. Drowning deaths among children under five have fallen dramatically over time due to pool fencing laws, education programs and sustained public awareness.
“These gains mirror road safety successes, and show that cultural change is possible when governments, communities and families commit to long-term action.”
Craig Roberts
General Manager, Drowning Prevention and Education
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