As the weather heats up and more people head to the water, swim safety has come into focus after two incidents over the weekend.

Tragically, a seven-year-old boy drowned at a swimming spot in the Blue Mountains on Sunday, and a four-year old boy was pulled unconscious from the water by a group of boaties on the Gold Coast.

Swim Australia CEO Brendon Ward told Deborah Knight new research has found less than half of Aussie kids are getting swimming lessons.

“This Swim Safer Week we’re really putting the spotlight back onto learn-to-swim and water safety in an attempt to try bring that to the top of the mind of parents.”

Mr Ward said the financial impacts of COVID may be a reason up to 48 per cent of parents in the survey have no intention of enrolling their children in swimming lessons.

“Families are saying that they don’t necessarily have the ability to afford those lessons; this is a core life skill that we’re talking about.”

Click PLAY below to listen to the full interview

Swim Australia is running a Swim It Forward initiative to help fund swim lessons for families who can’t afford it.

Image: Getty