Summer is here, again, and reports of deaths from drowning are a common occurrence. They always have been. But recently released CDC data from 2022 confirm that the significant increase in the number of these fatalities seen during the first year of the pandemic, and again in 2021, were not a fluke. The increase in drowning deaths over the past three years, and perhaps even four or five based on some preliminary 2024 data, represents a reversal of a decades long decline.
Drowning deaths were common before 2020, with about 4,000 each year for the past two decades. Since 2019, however, that number has increased by about 500 deaths per year with pediatric and adult populations all seeing higher numbers. Though guns are the leading cause of death in childhood, drowning kills more children aged 1 to 4 years than anything else, and there has been a 28% increase in that age group since 2019.
And like firearm deaths, there are significant disparities when it comes to drowning, with certain minority groups, particularly black and indigenous people, being at higher risk. Black people specifically have also experienced a 28% increase in drowning deaths since 2019. Poverty and cultural differences are likely to blame for much of the disparity seen in these numbers considering that swimming lessons and even access to pools don’t tend to come cheap, and there may be less emphasis on swimming as a skill in some communities. This leaves many at risk when they do find themselves in water, even adults, 40 million of which do not know how to swim according to recent CDC data:
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/drowning/index.html#:~:text=Over%204%2C500%20people%20drowned%20each,in%202022%20compared%20to%202019.
- More than 1 in 3 Black adults (37%) reported not knowing how to swim compared to 15% of all adults.
- About 2 in 3 Black adults (63%) reported never taking a swimming lesson.
- About 3 in 4 Hispanic adults (72%) reported never taking a swimming lesson.
Drowning kills a lot of kids every year and, as I mentioned earlier, children under the age of 4 years are particularly at risk. And while white children of all ages drown in larger total numbers than other ethnic groups in the United States, a higher percentage of black and brown children suffer fatal drowning injuries. Black teenagers specifically are the group most at risk, followed by white toddlers.
Again, social and cultural factors play a key role in the increased risk of drowning seen with children from ethnic minority groups. Like their parents, they are simply less likely to know how to swim compared to white kids. This almost certainly has roots in historical (and current) systemic racism, but it is a complex problem with multiple factors at play, all of which were likely exacerbated by the societal upheaval caused by the pandemic.
When it comes to where kids drown, the answer is also complex. Geographically speaking, there are more drownings in regions with higher temperatures over longer periods of time. More time in or around pools or natural bodies of water means more drownings. And the higher than typical temperatures being seen in many regions as a result of climate change almost certainly play a role in higher numbers of drownings. But curious toddlers also drown in bath tubs, fountains, buckets of water, and even deep puddles because of a combination of increased mobility, bodies with disproportionately heavy heads, and poor coordination and strength.
Older children are more likely to drown in natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. Alcohol intoxication, or really any illicit or prescribed drug that impairs judgement and/or coordination, is also more likely to play a role. Home swimming pools are more likely to be involved when white kids drown while black children are more likely to die in public or hotel pools. The most important factor involved in almost all pediatric drownings, however, is an absence of supervision. But even the most attentive caregivers are only human, and mistakes are often made that allow unsupervised young children access to bodies of water.
The title of my post may seem a bit provocative. Are we really blaming the significant increase in the number of deaths caused by drowning since 2019 on a virus? Is this another COVID-19 conspiracy? Nope.
As I’ve hopefully made clear, drowning is a complex and multifactorial issue. Although it is perhaps only conjecture at this point, I believe that it is fairly safe to say that the pandemic played a role in increasing the risk for a lot of people, especially children, for a number of reasons. For example, the availability of swimming lessons decreased when public facilities were closed, meaning many children may have missed an opportunity to participate. Also the early months of the pandemic found more children at home instead of schools or at supervised activities during the warmer months when a pool or other body of water was nearby.
Many caregivers of young children who are most at risk of drowning have had to deal with a lot over the past few years. Economic turmoil, like any significant stressor, can have myriad negative downstream repercussions that might result in less capable or consistent supervision. Millions of children lost primary caregivers to COVID-19, perhaps leaving them in the care of other relatives or family friends not as prepared to provide diligent supervision. And daycare options were, and still are, limited. These and many other concerns remain a significant challenge for many families.
Although it looks like the drowning numbers from 2023 will be worse than more recent prepandemic years, hopefully we will see some improvement when that data is finalized. 2022 wasn’t quite as bad as 2021 or 2020, after all. Maybe things are settling down as the economy improves and more younger children are getting back into swimming lessons. Even if we do get back to how things were, that still leaves us with thousands of preventable deaths every year and we need to do better.
Here is some important drowning prevention information from the CDC. They discuss some key factors to focus on, such as the importance of supervision of young children and of knowing and taking into account the potential problems associated with natural bodies of water. Adults, even those who know how to swim and aren’t in a high risk group, need to take this seriously as well and avoid making unsafe choices. A James Beard award winning chef died in a river just last week because she didn’t follow basic safety recommendations.
Here is another great resource for pediatric drowning prevention.
Have fun, but be safe out there.