Australian parents urged to stay vigilant as child drowning toll revealed - The Guardian Australia

Australian parents have been urged to remain vigilant as a new study reveals more than 500 children aged up to four years have drowned in the past 19 years.

Of the 532 children who died, 40% were aged one, with 77% of drownings happening after a fall into the water.

In almost all instances, the child was not being supervised by an adult when they entered the water.

Answering a front door, putting washing on or browsing social media can be disastrous for young children, he said.

For every fatal drowning, eight children are admitted to hospital.

On average, these children stay in hospital for one and a half days and some sustain lifelong brain injuries, long-term health complications or life-changing injuries.

Royal Life Saving recommends four simple safety tips to prevent child drowning.