According to the Center for Disease Control, drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 every year in the U.S. except for birth defects. Most of these drownings happen in swimming pools. After motorcycle crashes, drowning is the leading cause of death or injury for children ages 1-14.
It’s estimated that 3,960 people die every year from drowning, averaging 11 deaths per day. Beyond that, there are 8,080 nonfatal drownings that result in long-term health problems and costly medical expenses.
80% of drowning victims are male, which may be attributed to risk-taking, increased exposure to water, and the use of alcohol or drugs.
Certain factors increase the likelihood of swimming pool accidents or drowning, such as the victim not being able to swim or being a weak swimmer. Missing or ineffective fences can allow children to gain access to a swimming pool unbeknownst to adults. By having a four-sided fence around a pool, the likelihood of a child drowning is reduced by a whopping 83%.
However, lack of supervision of children in swimming pools can result in injury or drowning. It just takes a minute of not watching closely, and an injury can occur even if there are lifeguards on duty. For every child that drowns, another ten children will be injured from submersion, such as brain damage.
Another common cause of swimming pool accidents is drowning by entrapment. Entrapment is when a suction causes the victim’s hair, limbs, or clothing to be caught or get entangled in the water. A simple thing like a pool toy can even cause entrapment if the swimmer is a child or not a very strong swimmer.
Diving boards and the act of diving can lead to serious injury if the water is too shallow or the diving board malfunctions. The results can be severe, like a spinal injury, brain injury, or death.
Swimming pool slides can be dangerous, particularly if the slide drops the user into shallow water or it breaks from improper maintenance. An electrical defect or haphazardous use of electrical equipment around a swimming pool can have terrible consequences in the form of electrocution.
And finally, slip, and falls can cause injury or death if the area around the pool is improperly maintained or people are behaving in a reckless manner. The area around the pool can be excessively slippery if tile is used instead of a textured material, or water is allowed to accumulate.