That's so devastating! The poor family..what an awful accident.
By far the most drownings here in Australia are migrants - they don't know how to swim or understand the ocean. Aussie kids grow up doing swimming lessons and understanding the dangers of the sea mostly. Learning to swim and self rescue would have meant your brother never would have been in that terrifying situation. I'm sorry you all were so scarred and scared by it that it impacted your family enjoying water.
Indeed, a bad memory for the month that is difficult to forget.
You're right, the lack of proper training contributes to drowning incidents, which can be avoided if we know what to do when such accidents arise. What happened to my brother was truly scary, but it also taught us a lesson to stay vigilant when we are in the water.