The statistics on drowning deaths and non-fatal drowning incidents in the Kimberley region are concerning and have raised awareness about the need for greater water safety education and training in the region.
Between 2009-2019 there were 20 drowning deaths in the Kimberley region, while 28 people were hospitalised following a non-fatal drowning incident.
Recreating was the top activity which led to these incidents (40%) followed by swimming (20%) and diving (10%). The top locations where these incidents took place were:
- Rivers/creeks/streams (55%)
- Lakes/dams/lagoons (15%)
Contributing factors were:
- Environmental factors / weather conditions (40%)
- Alcohol (40%)
- Participating alone (40%)
The most common shires where drowning incidents occurred were the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, the Shire of Broome and the Shire of Halls Creek.
35% of those who drowned were Aboriginal, the largest proportion of any other region.
Of the incidents involving consumption of alcohol (40%), the average blood alcohol reading was more than three times the legal limit for driving (0.168%).
Priority areas for drowning prevention include:
- Males - are almost three times more likely to drown than females in the Kimberley region
- Toddlers aged 0-4 years
- People swimming and recreating around inland waterway locations
- Water safety in remote or very remote areas of the Kimberley - 100% of drowning happened in these areas
- High-risk communities (Aboriginal, born overseas and low socio-economic)
- Alcohol-related drowning
You can download our snapshot of drowning data in the Kimberley region below.
