Males continue to be overrepresented in the drowning statistics and are four times more likely to drown than females.
Victorian drowning reports continue to show a worrying trend for men aged 25–64 years being overrepresented in the number of drowning fatalities.
When it comes men aged 45 plus years, they generally do not put their health and safety first. Research also shows middle-aged Victorian men, usually with decades of experience in, on and around the water, tend to not believe drowning is a risk worth worrying about.
4 out of 5 drownings are men. No one's unsinkable. Visit the Unsinkable Guy page to find out more.
Males aged between 25 and 44 years old tend to have more bravado when it comes to water safety — they think they are invincible and that precautions don’t pertain to them. We ask men to rethink and to think about the simple actions they can take to make sure their day is just as enjoyable, but safe.
Drowning statistics show a wide variety of situations and activities can result in drowning — there is no single dominant dangerous activity. These activities further vary for different multicultural communities.
Important water safety messages to remember
- Be aware and prepared for conditions.
- Read safety signs to understand dangers.
- Swim between the red and yellow flags wherever possible.
- Never swim alone.
- Postpone alcohol until after your aquatic activity.
- Alcohol affects your swimming ability and judgement of dangerous situations.
- Always wear a lifejacket when boating or rock fishing, it buys you time to survive.
- Ensure you have the appropriate skills for your activity before going out on the water.
Important water safety resources
- Find a patrolled beach – Beachsafe(opens in a new window) / Beachsafe App
- Check the weather – BOM(opens in a new window)
- Check beach closures and emergency information – VicEmergency(opens in a new window)
- Check boat ramps(opens in a new window)
- Boating safety – Boating Vic App(opens in a new window)
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