Important Statistics

The leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children 1-4 years old
The second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children 1-14 years old
The fifth leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for all ages in the United States
Nine people drown every day in the United States, and not only children

In ethnically-diverse communities, the youth drowning rate is 2-3 times higher than the national average
Nearly six out of 10 African American and Hispanic/Latino children are unable to swim, nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts
The reason is not race but family - children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at-risk of drowning
While minority children of color drown at three times the rate of white (non-minority) children, 65% of their parents are at risk to drown as well.
According to statistics documented in a position paper by the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, while other unintentional injuries seen in emergency departments average about 4% hospitalization admissions, more than half of drowning victims are hospitalized. Many victims suffer life-long disabilities. Thus, prevention of drowning is critical.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is estimated that as many as twenty percent of near-drowning victims suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.

Drowning is Preventable ...Make Sure Everyone In Your Family Learns How To Swim!

For further information on this topic please visit the USA Swimming Foundation website.