Doctors and public health officials are raising concerns about an uptick in child drownings across the United States in recent years. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 and a significant cause for those aged 5 to 14. While drowning rates have historically been higher for white children in younger age groups, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native children face disproportionately higher rates in older childhood categories.
While unintentional child drowning deaths saw a significant decline from the 1980s to the early 2000s, attributed to public awareness campaigns, increased access to swimming lessons, and pool fencing laws, this trend reversed starting in 2019. The number of child drowning deaths rose from 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024, with the majority involving children under five. The drowning death rate also saw a slight increase.
Factors contributing to this reversal include disruptions to swimming lessons and lifeguard training programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, a subsequent national lifeguard shortage, and potential increases in unsupervised swimming, according to some data. Experts note that for very young children, drownings can occur in bathtubs, but most child drownings happen in swimming pools.
Leo and Kim Leonard, whose 21-month-old son Stewie drowned in a pool in 1989 during a family vacation, established a foundation to fund swimming lessons and promote drowning prevention. Stew Leonard, CEO of the grocery chain Stew Leonard’s, emphasized the critical role of swimming lessons and constant supervision. "When everyone's watching, nobody's watching," Kim Leonard said, recalling the circumstances of her son's death.
Preventative measures highlighted by medical professionals and drowning prevention advocates include comprehensive swimming lessons, particularly for young children, and strict, undivided attention from caregivers when children are near water. Stew Leonard stressed that swimming lessons are among the few activities that can directly save a child's life. His foundation has supported over 250,000 children's swimming lessons and opened two swimming schools.
Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC Foundation continue to issue guidance and support for drowning prevention. The AAP advocates for policies such as robust lifeguard standards, life jacket regulations, and mandatory fencing for swimming pools with self-closing and self-latching gates. The CDC Foundation has a program that has provided water safety training to over 35,000 students in states with higher drowning rates.
While preliminary data for the most recent year suggests a potential decline in child drownings, it is too early to confirm if this marks a sustained trend. Drowning remains a significant risk, and health officials emphasize that "seconds matter" in rescue and resuscitation efforts. Doctors stress the importance of immediate action, noting that quick intervention can be the difference between life, death, and lifelong disability.