Hunter Boyle remembered amid alarming rise in child drowning fatalities

Determined to help prevent future accidents, Ash Napolitano shared the grief of losing her son Hunter, recalling the hours following a call to say he had fallen into a dam on a Grahamvale property.

“Seeing your child with glazed over eyes, blue lips, grey skin — it's absolutely horrific and will forever be burned into my brain,” she said.

“Hunter was rushed to our local hospital (Goulburn Valley Health) where he was worked on for six hours by a heroic team of doctors.

“Unfortunately at 6pm that night, Hunter was declared dead. He was unable to be revived.

“The following 476 days can be described as nothing but hell for my family.”

Fifteen fatal child drownings in the year to June 2021 is a sharp increase on the 10-year average of two a year.

Ms Napolitano said Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas Day and birthdays were hard to bear for her and Hunter’s father, Matt Boyle.

“We’re all grieving what could have been and what memories could have been made,” Ms Napolitano said.

Hunter was fondly known as Hurricane Hunter, and is remembered as a cheeky, kind, loving ray of sunshine.

Shortly after his death, Ms Napolitano and Mr Boyle sprang into action, setting up a charity in their late son’s name.

The Hunter Boyle Foundation is dedicated to boosting swimming abilities among Shepparton’s youth, and is providing 10 children with 12 months of lessons, assisted by KidSafe Victoria and generous donations.

“At the moment we’re focusing on kids who may not have had the opportunity to access lessons for whatever reason,” Ms Napolitano said.

Ms Napolitano said families were struggling to access swimming lessons in Shepparton due to teacher shortages, and the foundation had plans to fund teacher training, as well as to make swimming lessons accessible to kids across Australia.

In total, 61 lives were lost to drowning in Victoria during the past reporting period, a 40 per cent increase in the drowning rate, and 21 fatalities more than the average annual number of drowning incidents for the past decade.

The pandemic likely played a part in the steep death toll.

Victorians missed an estimated five million swimming lessons and spent prolonged periods away from the water during 2020, reducing their water familiarity, swimming ability and fitness levels.

Before the past summer’s peak season, a tragic trend of fatal drownings above and beyond recent records was already seen.

In the year to June 2021, drownings increased across all open waterways, by more than 55 per cent in inland waterways and by more than 27 per cent in coastal waterways.

There was a 90 per cent increase in drownings in private or at-home swimming pools, and a 61 per cent increase in drownings in bath tubs.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds represent 35 per cent of fatal drownings over the past decade.

Life Saving Victoria general manager of health promotion Bernadette Matthews urged all Victorians to “remember the reason you want to get back out of the water safely, and to keep kids away from danger”.

“Do not become a memory, please remember that a moment of distraction can lead to a lifetime of heartbreak,” she said.

Actively supervise children around all bodies of water, and stay safe by learning swimming, water safety and lifesaving skills.

Always seek out patrolled beaches and swim between the red and yellow flags.

“If boating or rock fishing, wear safety gear such as a fully functioning, approved life jacket and gripped shoes, and remember that drugs and alcohol don’t mix with water,” Dr Matthews said.

Ms Napolitano hoped her story would be a timely reminder to the community.

“When accidents like this happen there’s nothing that can ever fix it, there’s nothing that can fill the hole in my heart without my son,” she said.

“I don’t think I’m brave, I think I’m just a mum. A heartbroken mum.”

Approaching the second Christmas without their son, Ms Napolitano and partner Mr Boyle can share the happy news they’ll soon have another family member join their table.

But even this joyful announcement brings to mind an aching absence.

“We’ve got another baby on the way, and Hunter will never meet his little brother or sister, and they will never meet him,” Ms Napolitano said.

“It's been so painful for us.

“But if we can have this legacy and have his death mean something, then it eases a tiny bit of the heartache.”