A study shows that the Western Cape is the province with the fourth highest reported drowning incidents over a five-year period.
Drowning is a serious public health concern, with low-and-middle-income countries the most affected, carrying 90% of the global drowning burden according to the study by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
A South African Epidemiological Study of Fatal Drownings: 2016 – 2021 indicates that it is an assumption that drownings occur frequently in the ocean, and an abundance of resources are deployed to prevent these drownings. For the study, it has been determined that drownings occurred more frequently in freshwater in South Africa from 2016 to 2021.
Dr Jill Fortuin, the NSRI’s executive director of drowning prevention, said the purpose of the study is to provide an overview of fatal drownings in SA in the period. “The results of this study have indicated that KwaZulu-Natal had the highest incidence of drowning. In addition, the zero to four-year age group has the highest prevalence of drowning among all the age categories,” she pointed out.
Furthermore, the study shows males represent 81% of all the drownings for the period, which can be attributed to more risky behaviour.
“Examining the data more from a provincial perspective, the second leading province is the Eastern Cape with 1 869 drownings reported for the period. It is followed by Gauteng, which has 1 006 reported drownings and the fourth province is the Western Cape with 864,” Fortuin added.
The most prevalent drowning age group in South Africa (zero to four years) is a finding supported by international research. In addition, recommendations from the World Health Organisation with regard to drowning prevention among preschool children further indicates there are concerns about drownings in this age category, so the message this festive season is to supervise your children diligently.
Notably, the study’s data is based on reported fatal drownings, so it is possible the number of drownings in SA could be more. The reasons for the drowning incidents are not reported, so this is not included in the report.
“With the festive season here, we urge extreme caution to South Africans who will be making their way to the coast to not drink and swim, supervise children in and around the water, and ensure that you know the emergency number,” Fortuin implored.
