‘Fatality numbers are up’: 99 people died in Australian waters over summer

Surf Live Saving Australia Lifesaving Chair Chris Jacobson says “fatality numbers are up” over the summer period. 99 people died in Australian waters over the summer. The Surf Life Saving Drowning Report also shows there were more than 5,700 rescues across the country. “Unfortunately, this summer period, we saw 99 deaths occur across Australia,” Mr Jacobson told Sky News Australia. “[When] we look at previous years, we know that fatality numbers are up, particularly in the regional and remote areas.”