The Royal Life Saving Society Australia shows 62 people in Australia drowned in one month between December 24, 2009 and January 26, 2010.

Royal Life Saving NSW Hunter regional manager Matt Sharman said there were a number of things people could do to reduce the risk of drowning.

“People should never swim alone and always check the depth of the water they are swimming in,” Mr Sharman said.

“If you swim in a dam or a lake, sometimes the water can be a bit murky, so you should check what’s underneath you.

“It’s about making smart decisions.”

But it was not just the adult swimmers Mr Sharman was concerned about.

In NSW in the past 12 months 32 children aged zero to four years died in what Mr Sharman calls “preventable drowning tragedies”.

He said parents needed to watch their children near water at all times.

“It is essential that you supervise your child,” he said.

“It only takes about 20 to 30 seconds for a child to drown.”

Mr Sharman said parents should enroll their child in a learn-to-swim program from three months old and learn CPR.

Home Pool Safety in a Box

Royal Life Saving Society Australia and the NSW Government have launched Home Pool Safety in a Box to encourage more home pool own-ers to learn CPR.

It contains a DVD that teaches people CPR in under 30 minutes using the ‘Mini-Anne CPR Manikin’.

CPR in a Box has also been released for people without a pool, who want to learn the technique.

Both cost $60.

Go to http://www.royallifesav-ing.com.a u/www/html/2395-home-pool-safety- in-a-box.asp for more information about Home Pool Safety in a Box or phone 4929 5600.