Statistics on drownings and tips on water safety.
May is National Water Safety Prevention Month. According to the American Red Cross, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children between 1 and 4 after motor vehicle, and it ranks fifth for people of all ages in the United States and third worldwide.
Drownings can occur at any location and even if adults and caregivers are present. The most dangerous locations do vary by age where 87 percent of drowning fatalities of children younger than 5 happen in home pools. The second leading locations can be bathtubs, ponds, wells, and even buckets.
More people in this world do not know how to swim than do. Drowning risks also vary by race and household income. Black children ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than white children in the same age range. When parents or caregivers have no/low swimming skills, their children are more likely not to learn the skills needed for survival. This affects 78 percent of Black children, 62 percent of Hispanic/Latino children, and 67 percent of white children. Unfortunately, since COVID-19, these statistics have risen.
The good news is that it is never to late to start learning about water safety and even to start learning how to swim. The No. 1 thing that parents/caregivers can do to start the process of protecting their children is by teaching them to never enter a body of water without asking for permission, even if it is to just get into a bathtub. It should be on the same level of telling your children to not touch the stove because it is hot or to put your seat belt on when you are in a car. There are several activities for kids, articles for parents, and even apps that are offered to assist in spreading the word on how to be safe around all bodies of water. Learning to swim can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent for ages 1 to 4.
If you are interested in learning more about water safety, go to the URecFit and Wellness webpage under the Aquatics section, and please feel free to reach out to Elizabeth Lasker, assistant director of Aquatics and Safety at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, at elasker@umaryland.edu.
Additional resources can be found at:
- www.NationalWaterSafetyMonth.org
- www.Stopdrowningnow.org
- American Red Cross at redcross.org/watersafety
- National Drowning Prevention Alliance at www.ndpa.org
Disclaimer: Elm Voices & Opinions articles reflect the thoughts or opinions of their individual authors, and may not represent the thoughts or values of UMB as an institution.