From late February into March drowning deaths stayed high right across the country with a spate of coastal drowning deaths in Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.

Cleaning up the ocean and working to prevent drowning have topped a list of surfers’ funding priorities, reflecting the health issues which are most likely to affect them in the waves.

When NSW introduced mandatory lifejacket legislation for rock fishing, what affect did it have on unintentional drowning deaths?

The selfie is a modern phenomena which can have tragic consequences. Temporary lack of self-awareness and concentration can lead to slips and falls; chasing the perfect selfie can lead people to visit risky locations at hazardous times.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered beach behaviour and coastal use. In Australia, the COVID-19 outbreak immediately followed the worst bushfire season on record: the ‘black summer’ fires burned 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres), killed at least 34 people, significantly reduced air quality, and forced thousands to evacuate (many via water).

Despite being a significant cause of death in coastal waters, data on who is at risk and the best way to prevent snorkeller death and injury is scarce. International researchers connected through IDRA to conduct a systematic review on the topic.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group published a study exploring fatal drowning risk among tourists and recently arrived individuals from overseas at beaches in metropolitan South Australia.

We reviewed 146 coastal drowning studies from around the world in an attempt to characterise the peer-reviewed scientific literature in the field. This study aimed to identify the key concepts, findings, evidence and gaps in the science in order to help guide future research and inform prevention activities.