Sydney
Two people tragically drowned in separate incidents in Western Australia (WA) this week. On Monday, a man in his 40s drowned while attempting to rescue two children at Native Dog Beach, located over 400 km southeast of Perth.
The man was part of a group of four adults who entered the water to assist the children around 2 pm. He encountered difficulty and became unresponsive, and despite efforts from bystanders to perform first aid, he could not be revived after being taken to a nearby medical center. Fortunately, the children and the other three adults returned to shore safely.
The second incident occurred less than 24 hours later on Tuesday at Lake Leschenaultia, about 50 km east of Perth. A 17-year-old boy became trapped under a pontoon at around 2 pm. His twin brother raised the alarm, and despite a rescue operation involving swimmers and scuba divers, the boy was found by police divers 45 minutes later. Emergency first aid was performed, but he could not be saved.
These drownings add to the rising toll in Australia, with 55 drowning deaths reported since the start of summer on December 1, 2024, according to the Royal Life Saving Society. The organization has previously highlighted the period between Christmas and New Year as the deadliest time for drownings.