WA drownings prompt urgent warning from water safety groups

Water safety groups have sounded the alarm after 10 drowning deaths in WA so far this summer.

And they warned that some people are “taking their life and the lives of their family” into their own hands by swimming at unpatrolled beaches, with Surf Life Saving WA blasting the actions as irresponsible.

“Unfortunately, even when a patrolled location is proximate, some people are still choosing to swim where no patrol is present. This behaviour is irresponsible,” SLSWA general manager of lifesaving Chris Peck said on Wednesday.

Across Australia there have been 55 drownings since December 1 — a rate of more than one person per day.

Ten of those have taken place in WA.

With more than six weeks left of summer, WA’s tragic death toll is just one fewer than the 11 deaths recorded throughout the entire 2023-24 summer and is well above the State’s five-year average of seven.

Three drownings in five days, at City Beach, Bremer Bay and Lake Leschenaultia, have drawn attention to what Royal Life Saving Australia WA chief executive officer Peter Leaversuch believes is a national crisis.

“The summer drowning toll is a much bigger problem than people realise, each one is a different place, different time and different circumstance but collectively this represents a big issue,” Mr Leaversuch said.

“The best way to prevent drowning is to empower people with the skills and knowledge to look after themselves.”

As reported in The West Australian last week, Mr Leaversuch believes urgent action is needed to improve the way migrants are taught about water safety.

He said yesterday all West Australians should equip themselves, and children, with water safety skills and resist the temptation to swim at unpatrolled, unfamiliar and often remote beaches.

“Individual swimmers need to know their own ability. We’ve got a terrible problem, we like to think we’re a State full of aquatic people, but many don’t even have the most basic aquatic skills, and can’t float or tread water,” he said.

He wanted better pathways for young people to continue swimming education beyond VacSwim.

SLSWA called on all levels of government to consider expanding patrol services amid an “extraordinarily busy” summer on WA’s coast. Beach rescues in WA have increased by almost 100 per cent week on week this summer, according to SLSWA.

“If you are a parent, please consider enrolling your children into the Woodside Nippers program where they will learn vital coastal safety skills that will stay with them for life and create generational changes within their future families,” Mr Peck said.

Three deaths over the past week came after Olya Tikhanova, 40, died on January 4 after she was swept off rocks at Salmon Beach, near Esperance.

One week earlier, Perth couple Mohammad Shahidul Hasan Swapan, 44, and Sabrina Ahmed, 40, died while saving their daughter at Conspicuous Cliff Beach near Walpole.

Shire of Jerramungup president Joanne Iffla said the Bremer Bay community was devastated by the death of a 43-year-old man on Tuesday at Native Dog Beach, 10km south of the townsite. The tragedy occurred when the man went to the aid of two children caught in a rip.

Mrs Iffla said Native Dog Beach was known among locals as a surf beach, not a swimming beach.

“It’s an awful thing to happen, it’s terrible,” she said.

“Every local knows you don’t swim there. It’s personal awareness, and at Bremer Bay there are plenty of safe places for children to swim.”