Macquarie River warning as one third of drowning deaths occur in inland waterways

The report by Royal Life Saving Society - Australia shows 900 people drowned in inland waterways including rivers, creeks, lakes and dams in Australia in the 10 years to 2021, accounting for more than a third of all drowning deaths.

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The data showed this was not just an issue for people travelling to and unfamiliar with local waterways, as 40 per cent of those who drowned in inland waterways lived within 20 kilometres of the waterway.

Royal Life Saving's National Manager - Research and Policy, Stacey Pidgeon, said there had been "a number of drowning deaths" in the Macquarie River over the years.

"The risk of drowning increases in regional and remote locations," Ms Pidgeon told the Daily Liberal.

"It is really important people are aware when they're travelling to the area they're not familiar with, check conditions, check signage, and if you go into the water go feet first, avoid alcohol around water and wear a life jacket if you're boating and fishing."

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The report showed 330 people drowned in inland waterways, rivers, creeks and dams in NSW over the past 10 years.

A staggering 82 per cent of these were male, with the top age group being 25 to 44 years old.

"This found adults were more likely to drown in a river and children under 10 were more likely to drown in a lake or dam, and this was more likely to happen on regional and rural properties," Ms Pidgeon said.

She said 30 per cent of drowning deaths happened in school holidays, both adults and children, and it was "really important" to actively supervise children on all water bodies.

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Ms Pidgeon advised people to be "very cautious" on all inland waterways, particularly as "they don't have lifeguards and flags to indicate it's a safe place to swim".

She also issued a warning regarding flooded waterways.

"With all the rain and flooding that's been happening over the last few months, a lot of areas have more water in them than usual. There are a lot of currents, and dams and lakes have more water than they would usually," she said.

"It's really important people check before they go in the water; check the depth, and put something in the water to check how fast the current might be going."

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Locals were also put on notice: "We're asking people to be very vigilant around water even if you're familiar with the location, as we know conditions can change day to day with the rain and flooding," Ms Pidgeon said.

"Even though it has been quite hot in Dubbo over last few weekends, those water conditions may have changed since you've last been there."

*Recommendations from Royal Life Saving Society - Australia