THE number of people drowning in the Bendigo region has climbed in the past decade as a report highlights "worrying trends" suggesting some people are too complacent around water.
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Nine people drowned in the area to 2018-19, Life Saving Victoria's latest Victorian Drowning Report shows.
It is up from seven deaths the decade before and suggests the likelihood of one or more residents drowning every year is now 39 per cent, a rise from 26 per cent.
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The report comes after a man died on Sunday after being found unconscious in a Rochester swimming pool.
Police are preparing a report for the coronor and have not released details about the exact circumstances of the incident.
Not all drownings are fatal.
Report authors say 30 Bendigo residents were hospitalised due to non-fatal drowning in the 10 years to 2018-19.
A total of 15 Bendigo residents arrived at emergency departments for non-fatal drownings over that period.
Males were four times more likely to drown than females in this period, compared to seven times more likely the previous period.
Central Victorians were drowning in dams, lakes, rivers, creeks, streams and home swimming pools.
Report authors say people were walking or recreating near water before the drownings occurred.
Statewide, Life Saving Victoria is concerned about a spike in deaths since the start of the current financial year.
So far, there have been 18 drowning deaths since July and summer has only just begun.
It was seven more than the 10-year average, Life Saving Victoria's principal research associate Bernadette Matthews said.
"Behind all these numbers, what we're really talking about is life-changing tragedy for many Victorian families," Dr Matthews said.
"We are facing a summer where most Victorians have had limited or no exposure to waterways and aquatic recreation in almost a year, so it's crucial to be prepared before a day out on or around the water."
State authorities have already issued multiple public warnings this year about other safety issues at popular swimming holes around central Victoria.
At Langley's Turpins Falls alone, at least two people have been airlifted after sustaining injuries in separate incidents because they fell or jumped off of rock faces.
Police divers recovered the body of a separate man in his 20s there after he was seen in the water but did not resurface last March.