Death Rates From Drowning Among Young Children Are Rising for First Time in Decades: CDC Report

Recent data show deaths from drowning began rising in 2020, especially among young children and black Americans of all ages.

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Drowning deaths are on the rise for the first time in decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC).

A new Vital Signs report published today in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found unintentional drowning death rates were significantly higher during 2020, 2021, and 2022 compared with those in 2019 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Drowning is a serious public health problem. Drowning can happen to anyone at any time there is access to water. It can be quick, silent, and deadly,” Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, told reporters during a media brief on Tuesday.

CDC researchers led by Tessa Clemens, a health scientist with the CDC’s Division of Injury Prevention, found that more than 4,500 people drowned each year from 2020 to 2022 compared to 4,000 deaths per year in 2019.

According to the report, drowning is the leading cause of death among children 1 to 4 years old and increased by 28 percent in 2022 compared to 2019. Adults over 65 had the second highest rate of drowning, with deaths increasing by 19 percent among adults aged 65 to 74 in 2022.

Compared with an overall unintentional drowning death rate of 1.2 per 100,000 persons in 2019, rates increased by 10.5 percent in 2020 with 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people, 13.7 percent in 2021 and 9.1 percent in 2022. Drowning death rates were higher among males than among females in all years.

Drowning rates were notably higher in racial and ethnic groups that were already disproportionately affected. For example, black people of all ages saw the second largest increase in drowning deaths, with a 22 percent increase in 2020 and a 28 percent increase in 2021 compared to 2019.

In 2022, the largest increase in drownings occurred in Hispanic people, who saw a nearly 25 percent increase in deaths compared to 2019.

Pandemic May Be Behind Surge in Drowning Deaths

The CDC said during its media briefing the agency doesn’t know what’s behind the surge in drowning deaths, but it believes the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of access to swimming classes or outdoor bodies of water could be to blame.

According to the Vital Statistics report, 40 million U.S. adults do not know how to swim. Notably, more than one in three black adults (37 percent) reported not knowing how to swim, nearly two in three black adults (63 percent) reported never having taken a swim lesson, and nearly three in four Hispanic adults (72 percent) have never taken a swim lesson.

“Differences in access to swimming lessons are one barrier that could contribute to these outcomes. Swimming lessons can be expensive or may not be available in some communities. When swimming lessons are available, some people may be hesitant to participate due to complex social and cultural factors,” the agency said in a news release.

“I’ve seen firsthand the effects of drowning: families forced to say goodbye to their loved ones too soon,” Dr. Houry told The Epoch Times in an email, adding that the agency’s drowning prevention experts have collected high-quality drowning data to better understand how they can protect people in communities across the United States.

“First, I’d like to say that no one should have to lose a loved one to drowning. Improving access to effective prevention strategies, like basic swimming and water safety skills training, can reduce drowning risk,” co-author Ms. Clemens told The Epoch Times.

Ms. Clemens said the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the rise in drowning deaths, as people were unable to take swim lessons and lifeguard training were interrupted. People also spent more time indoors due to concerns over virtual transmission and less time recreating outdoors in and around bodies of water, increasing their drowning risk. However, multiple factors contribute to an increased risk of drowning, she said.

Click here to watch the report on Frontline Health.

CDC Is Taking Steps to Reduce Drowning Deaths

Ms. Clemens said the CDC is taking numerous steps to prevent drowning deaths in addition to publishing reports on drowning statistics like the recent Vital Signs report:

• The CDC’s Division of Injury Prevention works independently and is investing in nationwide organizations to collect drowning data, increase access to basic swimming and water safety skills training, and reduce the risk of drowning.
• The agency is currently funding the YMCA, National Network of Public Health Institutes, and the American Red Cross to evaluate basic swimming and water safety training programs and to increase access to programs for those at the highest risk of drowning.
• The CDC is funding the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention to improve data on drowning deaths among children by piloting enhanced data collection on fatalities in several states.

Additionally, the CDC invested in the first U.S. National Water Safety Action Plan (USNWSAP), in response to the World Health Organization’s call for member states to develop national action plans.

“This plan provides tools for communities, counties, and states based on evidence-informed recommendations and provides guidance on making local water safety plans,” Ms. Clemons told The Epoch Times. USNWSAP’s mission is to prevent drowning in the United States through “evidence-informed action.”