The staggering number of Australian adults who can’t swim

A quarter of Australian adults are weak swimmers or can’t swim at all, a new Royal Life Saving Australia survey has found.

Former Australian swimming coach Laurie Lawrence says free school swimming programs were traditionally offered across the country, but they are now being cut, and it’ll mean deaths.

“To me it looks like Australia has gone backwards by not getting kids taught at school,” he told Jo Hall, filling in for Dee Dee.

Mr Lawrence says Tasmania is the only state still offering a suitable learn to swim program.

“Tasmania is the only state that’s really doing this effectively and keeping kids in swimming lessons until they can swim at least 50 metres,” he said.

“Every year they give 10 free lessons.

“They keep a tab on the kids and if you can’t swim 50 metres you’ve got to come back for more lessons every year.”

The former national swim coach says the pandemic will worsen the swimming standard for the current generation of children.

“There is a generation of kids that have missed swimming lessons for two years,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear more about the shocking number of Australians who can’t swim