Distracted parents ‘on phones’ linked to child drownings: Report

Seeing a lifeguard on hand at a public swimming pool is always a small relief for parents and grandparents looking after kids in the water – but they shouldn’t allow themselves to be lulled into a false sense of security, experts have warned.

A new report by Royal Life Saving Society Australia (RSLA) has linked distracted adults to 86 per cent of child drownings in public and commercial pools. According to the report’s research officers, many adults were on their phones when the children slipped under the water and lost consciousness.

The report, titled A 10-Year Analysis Of Drowning In Aquatic Facilities, used data spanning from 2005-15 and found a fifth of the 36 people who drowned in public and commercial pools were kids aged between five and nine.

“Safety should always be a top priority around water,” the society’s chief executive Justin Scarr said. “Parents and carers must actively supervise their children around water, even if lifeguards are present.”

Read more: Beachgoers slammed for standing by while man drowned

RSLA told Starts at 60 that parents using phones, texting and answering emails need to remain vigilant and keep their head up with eyes on their children.

“Phones are just one of the distractions we see in drowning incidents involving young children. It’s easy for parents to become distracted, particularly in a busy aquatic centre with lots of noise and excitement,” RLSA senior research officer Alison Mahony said. 

“Things like checking emails and texts, changing another child’s nappy or having a conversation with another parent is enough time for a child to slip away unnoticed and get into trouble.”

Overall, the report found 78 people had fatally drowned in non-backyard pools over the decade, while a further 362 people had a non-fatal drowning requiring hospitalisation.

While 36 of them were in the public and commercial pools, the remaining 42 were at communal pools, such as those in hotels, apartment complexes and retirement villages.

Read more: Why are older Australians more likely to drown?

As well as a lack of supervision, other factors that played a part in the fatal drownings included pre-existing medical conditions, and a lack of swimming ability and water safety knowledge.

“Research shows that parents and carers need ongoing reminders about the importance of active adult supervision,” Scarr added. “We encourage all facilities to contact Royal Life Saving to become a program partner, and receive a range of resources for water safety.”

Pool safety rules and guidelines have come a long way in recent years, compared to just a few decades a go when kids were often allowed to play outside in creeks and water without adult supervision. 

Do you think parents and grandparents should pay more attention to kids while they’re swimming? Does more need to be done to teach them of the guidelines?