Patterns of drowning and near drowning in NSW

Abstract

An analysis of drowning in Australia showed that, overall, rates of drowning are low compared to other injuries. In NSW between 1995 and 1999, drowning was the sixth most common injury-related cause of death, and near-drowning was the eighth most common cause of injury-related hospitalisation. However, as these are population-based estimates, the rates underestimate the risk involved in exposure to water-related hazards.