Your reminder to Keep Watch this summer

Children under five years of age remain at the greatest risk of drowning in Western Australia. This summer Royal Life Saving WA is releasing a new media campaign as part of the Keep Watch program reminding parents of the importance of supervising children when in and around water.
 
Lauren Nimmo, Senior Manager - Research, Media and Communications says drowning risk triples following a child’s first birthday. “Parents need to be aware of this heightened risk and stay vigilant. As children become more mobile, they are curious and unpredictable. It is vital you keep constant watch and restrict access to water around the home. We are reminding parents that ‘Kids can’t help themselves around water, you need to. Keep Watch.”
 
She also states “the reality is that kids are most at risk of drowning during those times when parents aren’t expecting them to be around the water. Whether it be a pool, paddling pool, fishpond, or dam, it often only takes a few minutes for a curious child to find their way to water while adults are distracted. Having simple safety measures in place can prevent these tragedies from happening.”
 
Royal Life Saving research shows that children aged one year are at greatest risk. Over the past 20 years, 222 children aged one year have drowned in Australia, equating to 40% of all child drowning under the age of five. This is even more stark in WA, where children aged one year accounted for 47% of all toddler drowning deaths.
 
While drowning rates for children aged 0 – 4 years have reduced nationally by 59% over the last 20 years, drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death for this age group. Knowing the risks of child drowning can help prepare parents and carers for their vital role in preventing child drowning. Parents and carers are urged to ‘Keep Watch’ by actively supervising children around water, restricting access to water, teaching children water safety skills and knowing how to respond in the case of an emergency.
 
The new phase of the ‘Kids can’t help themselves around water’ campaign was filmed in WA and will be aired nationally throughout summer to remind parents and carers about the risks of child drowning. The extension of the campaign this year highlights two new characteristics often seen in young children that can put them at risk around water.
 
“The Sidekick” will follow their older siblings anywhere and won’t be left out of anything – even the water. The inquisitive nature of “The Curious One” means they get immersed in everything, which can lead them dangerously close to water.  
 
The campaign was developed by creative agency 303MullenLowe. Stephen Hansen, Art Director says “It’s hard enough being a parent and the Keep Watch campaign is amazing in its ability to speak to parents of all types of children in a non-patronising way. This extension reinforces that, showing more children’s behaviours (and their siblings) to speak to an even wider audience.”
 
Home swimming pools continue to pose the greatest risk to toddlers. Royal Life Saving research found a total of 282 children aged 0 – 4 years lost their lives in a swimming pool between 2002 and 2022 in Australia, with 40 of these occurring in WA. Most children were able to access the backyard pool unsupervised through a gate that had been propped open or not properly closed.
 
“This is the time of year to check your pool fence and gate” says Ms Nimmo. “If there is a lapse in supervision, a correctly installed and regularly maintained pool barrier can prevent your child from drowning. It is important that pools gates are not propped open for any reason. Always check you’ve closed the pool gate behind you and restrict children’s access to outdoor areas without adult supervision.”
 
The Keep Watch program is supported by the Western Australian Department of Health and promotes four actions to keep children safe around the water; Supervise, Restrict, Teach and Respond. Remember, kids can’t help themselves around water, you need to. Keep Watch.