Scott Harrison is the Community Awareness and Multicultural Programs officer at Surf Life Saving Queensland.
To get that number down, Surf Live Saving Queensland has been going to beaches, but also to different communities and universities to talk about water safety.
They've produced a multilingual water safety booklet to help lifeguards communicate with swimmers from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Scott Harrison also encourages people to use the Beachsafe app.
The app provides information about patrol status, facilities, hazards, weather, swell and tide.
But the main thing to know is that to be truly safe, you need to go to a beach that is patrolled, especially if you're not a confident swimmer.
Rip currents are a major threat for those deciding to swim in areas that are not patrolled. They claim 21 lives per year on average.
Sydney University's School of Geosciences' Dr. Jack McCarroll says it's good to learn how to identify rip currents.
And it's not only when swimming that you should be careful at the beach, rock fishing can be a very dangerous sport.
Craig Roberts is the National Manager for Aquatic Risk at the Royal Life Saving Society.
He says rock fishers need to be prepared.
It only takes a few seconds for a rock fisher to be swept out to sea and prior to drowning; there is also the danger of being smashed against rocks.
You should avoid rock fishing on days where the waves are big.
Craig Roberts also reminds us to remain vigilant at pools and around rivers, the number one location for migrant drowning deaths in Australia.
No matter what your plans are for the summer, he encourages everyone to learn CPR.
To get information on beaches in your languages, download the Beachsafe app. You can also find out more about water safety on the Surf Life Saving Australia's website, sls.com.au. The Royal Life Saving Society offers CPR training across the country. And when you're at the beach, talk or signal to a lifeguard if you need some help.
Useful links:
Beach Safe by Surf Life Saving Australia - multilingual https://beachsafe.org.au/surf-safety/multilingual
Royal Life Saving https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/
