According to a recent survey, about 16 per cent of people using NSW and Queensland rivers in January had been drinking alcohol.
Perhaps even more surprising is the revelation that some people had blood alcohol level readings nearly 6.5 times higher than the 0.05 legal limit, which applies to adults driving a car or a boat.
The Murray River had the highest consistent readings and it is also the location with the highest number of river drownings in Australia.
The survey was conducted by the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.