More South Africans drown at inland sites than in the ocean, a new study has found. These inland sites include swimming pools, canals, old mine dumps and even water tubs.
And infants and toddlers aged 0-4 years most at risk are white, not from the historically disadvantaged communities, though the risk of unsupervised drowning affects all race groups, according to the study conducted by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
During the study period (2016—2021) an average 1,477 people drowned every year, at an average national drowning rate of 2.54 per 100,000.
KwaZulu-Natal had the worst drowning rate, followed by the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape. The age group most at risk was 0-4 years, with most of these victims drowning within just a few metres of their home.
The vast majority of victims were male (81%), the study found.
Dr Jill Fortuin, executive director of drowning prevention at NSRI, said the results suggested unsupervised swimming was the key factor driving the high fatality rate.
The study was a "wake-up" call for all South Africans to be more vigilant around water.
“It comes down to supervision,” Fortuin told TimesLIVE.
“Drowning is not [only] because the child can’t swim but because there is no supervision,” she said, adding unsupervised swimming was a global problem.
She said the study results were “a huge wake-up call for parents and caregivers”, particularly in the build-up to the festive season.
TimesLIVE
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KZN most at risk
Shock drowning figures show SA is turning a blind eye to unsupervised swimming
Image: Supplied
More South Africans drown at inland sites than in the ocean, a new study has found. These inland sites include swimming pools, canals, old mine dumps and even water tubs.
And infants and toddlers aged 0-4 years most at risk are white, not from the historically disadvantaged communities, though the risk of unsupervised drowning affects all race groups, according to the study conducted by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
During the study period (2016—2021) an average 1,477 people drowned every year, at an average national drowning rate of 2.54 per 100,000.
KwaZulu-Natal had the worst drowning rate, followed by the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape. The age group most at risk was 0-4 years, with most of these victims drowning within just a few metres of their home.
The vast majority of victims were male (81%), the study found.
Dr Jill Fortuin, executive director of drowning prevention at NSRI, said the results suggested unsupervised swimming was the key factor driving the high fatality rate.
The study was a "wake-up" call for all South Africans to be more vigilant around water.
“It comes down to supervision,” Fortuin told TimesLIVE.
“Drowning is not [only] because the child can’t swim but because there is no supervision,” she said, adding unsupervised swimming was a global problem.
She said the study results were “a huge wake-up call for parents and caregivers”, particularly in the build-up to the festive season.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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