More than 800 students at 8 schools in Mildura and near Swan Hill are learning vital water safety skills this week as part of Life Saving Victoria’s (LSV) Open Water Learning Experience (OWLE) program.

The program has run at Apex Park, in front of the Mildura Life Saving Club from Monday through today, with the program shifting to Lake Boga for tomorrow and Friday.

Figures from Life Saving Victoria show that within the North West region, there were 8 drowning deaths and 24 people hospitalised for non-fatal drownings in a ten-year period until 2018.

The most recent drowning figures have 8 drowning deaths occurring since the start of summer, which is down from 16 over the same period in 2019.

LSV Community Education Projects Coordinator Jodie Walker said educating children on how to be safe around rivers and inland waterways was an important way to reduce Victoria’s drowning rate into the future.

“Each year, Life Saving Victoria’s Open Water Learning Experience programs educate more than 18,000 students across the state during warmer months in term 4 and term 1,” she said.

Team Leader for the regional tour Hannah Phillips said that it's important to try to bring in good water safety habits early in a child's life.

"It's extremely important to try to get to these kids nice and early," says Phillips.

"We want them to be able to know their local conditions and the risks associated and then also we go through the kids to reach the wider community."