Lifesavers have issued a desperate plea for Australians to act safely around water after an alarming spike in drowning deaths in December.

The period between Christmas and New Year is known as the peak time for drownings in Australia – and 2023 has tragically proven no different.

A total of 22 people have drowned since the start of December, compared with 19 by the same date last year and a five-year average of 25.

Nine drowned in the three days spanning Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, all in New South Wales and Queensland.

They included two men who died in separate incidents on NSW Central Coast beaches on Christmas Day, and a man in his 30s who reportedly fell from a paddleboard at Sydney’s new Penrith Beach on Boxing Day and failed to resurface.

On Wednesday, a two-year-old girl drowned in a backyard pool despite CPR administered by family and paramedics at Whian Whian, 25 kilometres north of Lismore in northern NSW.

Royal Life Saving Australia CEO Justin Scarr said the underlying issue is “perhaps Australians aren’t as strong swimmers as we believe we are”.

“There are many people across the holiday period that will wade into the water, splash about, but they in fact won’t swim,” he said.

“When they find themselves in deep water, that overestimation of their ability is what causes significant problems.”

Earlier in December, Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce told TND the organisation would mobilise all of its resources to help protect Australians in and around the water.

“We’ve seen two really bad years of coastal drownings in a La Nina environment, and that’s why we’re really concerned with the way it’s already starting to trend with this El Nino environment,” he said.

Whether it’s at the beach, river or pool, here are some tips to keep you and your loved ones safe around water this summer – and all year round.

Keep your eyes – and hands – on your kids

The Royal Life Saving Society’s 2023 National Drowning Report found 16 children aged four and under died in Australia between 2022 and 2023.

Swimming pools and bathtubs are the most common places for children in this age group to strike trouble.

But the tragedies don’t stop there; Kids Alive operations director Emma Lawrence said for every child that drowned, there could be up to eight who survived but with poor health outcomes.

These children are left with disabilities due to oxygen deprivation they suffered while under the water.

Along with keeping pool fences closed, Lawrence said being vigilant with children around water was key to keeping them safe.

“We’ve … had over 50 per cent of people admitting to leaving their children unsupervised [around pools] for short periods of time, whether that’s running in to get a drink of water, or running in to get the towels, those types of things,” she said.

“People don’t realise that drowning is quick and drowning is silent.”

She said whether it was a backyard pool, river or beach, there should always be at least one designated adult supervising children.

Fun and games in the backyard pool need to be under supervision. Photo: Getty

Pearce said it was crucial to keep a firm grip on a hand of any child under five any time they were near water.

And don’t rely on others to look out for your children’s safety for you.

“It’s always inherently important for the parent to be watching and supervising their own children,” he said.

“The lifesavers and lifeguards are going to be busy enough looking after hundreds of other people – thousands of other people in some instances – on beaches, and they won’t be able to specifically look after your child.

“That will be your responsibility.”

And while drownings among young and primary-aged children have actually fallen in the past decades, one demographic has increased.

Scarr said there had been a worrying jump in drownings of people aged over 45.

“It’s a combination of older people swimming later in life and other medical conditions, combined with strenuous activity like swimming increasing drowning risk,” he said.

Swim between the flags (and bring a floatie)

The slogan may be old news, but the advice is sound.

SLS Australia found that everyone who drowned at an Aussie beach last summer was outside lifesavers’ flags.

Pearce acknowledged many Australians skipped patrolled beaches for less-busy locales where lifeguards were less likely to be found.

If that’s the case, and you see someone start to struggle in the water, call triple zero to make sure help is on the way before trying to help them.

Anyone who is a good enough swimmer to help should carry a flotation device when they hit the water, Pearce said.

It can be anything from an Esky or football to a boogie board.

“[Last year in NSW’s coastal waters] eight people … lost their lives trying to rescue someone else,” he said.

“If you see any of the lifeguards or lifesavers when they’re performing their duties, they’d never, ever enter the water without taking either a rescue tube or a rescue board.”

Educate yourself

Rip currents are the No.1 coastal hazard, and contribute to one in five coastal drowning deaths in Australia, according to RLS data.

Before heading to the beach, Pearce said it was important to be familiar with the signs of a rip, and what to do if you’re caught in one.

“In its essence, if you get down to the beach and you see … glassy and dark water among breaking waves on either side, that predominantly is the indicator of a rip,” he said.

A beach trip can be made safer with some research. Photo: Getty

“[If you get caught in a rip], first thing is don’t panic.

“No.2: Raise your arm to try and [get] some attention so we can get lifeguards or lifesavers responding to you. And three, we just ask you to try and float with that rip.”

Knowing how to perform CPR can also prove useful.

Lawrence said teaching children how to swim and about water safety rules was important.

“Our message is always: Fence the pool, shut the gate, teach your kids to swim, it’s great. Supervise, watch your mate and learn how to resuscitate,” she said.

Kids Alive has songs teaching children about water safety. They are available on Spotify through listed artist Kids Alive Do the Five.