Hunter accounted for eight per cent of drownings in NSW in 10 years to June 2021: Royal Life Saving Society Australia

The Newcastle Herald has obtained data from The Royal Life Saving Society Australia's national fatal drowning database that shows the Hunter accounted for 73 - or eight per cent - of the state's 932 drownings from July 2011 to June 2021.

The society's national manager of research and policy Stacey Pidgeon said the number of local drownings had been "steady" at about seven each year over the past decade.

"That is probably what we would expect for such a large region and that covers a range of water environments," she said.

"It's less than 10 per cent but ideally we'd like to see those numbers go down as much as possible."

The data shows 67 per cent of the people who drowned in the Hunter were men.

People aged 65 to 74 made up the majority of drownings, at 18 per cent, followed by people aged over 75 (15 per cent) and between 18 and 24 (14 per cent).

"For a while now across the country we have seen an increase in older people drowning and that's down to a few things, we have an ageing population, but we've also got people living longer and more active lifestyles as well, so people getting out in retirement and they might have a bit more free time, a bit more money to pursue things and get out on the water, whether that means swimming laps every morning or getting out on a boat, but it also comes with some risks," she said.

"A lot of older people who drown, we find they have medical conditions as well and also people thinking 'I've done this for years' or 'I used to swim' or 'I've been around water for a long time', but their body hasn't kept up with that so they're maybe not as fit as they used to be.

"We need to remember that we need to probably be a bit more aware as we get older of the risks, thinking about things like always going with someone else just in case something happens, wearing a lifejacket when out in the water - I know we don't expect to end up in the water, but a lifejacket keeps you floating and keeps you warm - and obviously being aware of any medication you're taking as well that might have an effect when you're in the water."

She said while the "natural instinct" was to go into the water after someone in trouble, the society urged people to get external help.

Rivers and creeks were the locations for more than a quarter of the local drownings, 26 per cent, followed by rocks (18 per cent) and the ocean or harbour (15 per cent).

The beach and swimming pools each accounted for 11 per cent of drownings.

Ms Pidgeon said it was often impossible to see what was happening beneath what looked like a calm river or creek surface.

"Water can be really murky, we don't know the depth of it and that current can be going really fast as well, especially if there has been a lot of rain."

She said people should pay attention to signage, throw a stick into the water to check the current and enter feet first instead of diving in.

She said people who liked fishing from rocks should wear lifejackets and the right clothing and shoes, take note of conditions, which can change quickly, and use the Beach Safe and the Bureau of Meteorology apps.

Boating/watercraft as well as falls (of people who didn't intend to be in the water) accounted for 19 per cent of the activities people were undertaking immediately prior to drowning, followed by swimming and recreation (15 per cent) and rock fishing (11 per cent).

She said it was vital for boats and watercraft to have safety equipment and for every person to wear a lifejacket, which now come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The society's summer water safety campaign asks people to know the conditions, wear a lifejacket, avoid going alone, supervise children and to avoid alcohol around water.

Ms Pidgeon said more than one-third of all people who drown die more than 50 kilometres from home, so it was important when reuniting with loved ones in unfamiliar settings to check conditions.

"They're in holiday mode, they're relaxed, they're not checking the hazards or what could potentially go wrong... it can be very different from one day to the next," she said.

The Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2021 shows that 294 people lost their lives to drowning and an estimated further 674 people experienced a non-fatal drowning incident in the year to June 30.

Deaths increased by 20 per cent on the previous year.

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