EVENT:

WHAT:

• Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 10-14 years.
• According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, drowning is the leading cause of injury death and the second leading cause of overall death in toddlers ages 12-23 months.
• For infants less than 1 year, drowning is the third leading cause of death.

WHO:

•  In 2010, more than 5,600 children sustained non-fatal near-drowning related injuries in the United States. In 2009, children ages four and under had the highest drowning death rate (about four times greater than other age groups) and accounted for 70 percent of drowning.
• Approximately 15 percent of children admitted to hospitals for near-drowning die, while another 20 percent will suffer severe and permanent brain damage.

WHEN:

• Nine of 10 drowning-related deaths occurred while a child was "reportedly" being supervised.
• In the summer, between May and August, drowning deaths among children increase 89 percent over the rest of the year.

WHERE:

• More than half of childhood drownings in pools occur in the child's home pool. Most of these children were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of drowning.
• Among children ages four and under, there are about 300 residential swimming pool drownings nationwide each year.

• Approximately 72 percent of pool submersion deaths and 55 percent of pool submersion injuries occur at a home.

• Drownings for most infants under the age of one are in bathtubs, most often when the child is unsupervised. Other drownings in this age group tend to occur in toilets and buckets.

PREVENTION:

• Research shows that nine out of 10 of children who drowned were reportedly under the supervision of an adult. While better supervision is critical, the study also found that many adults had not properly fenced their pools, required use of personal flotation devices (PFDs), or taught their children how to swim.

• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around water in the home. Always actively supervise children in and around water. Don't leave, even for a moment. Stay where you can see, hear and reach kids in water. Avoid talking on the phone, preparing a meal, reading and other distractions.

• Install four-sided isolation fencing, at least five feet high, that completely surrounds swimming pools or spas. Four-sided isolation fencing around home pools could prevent 50-90 percent of childhood drownings and near-drownings. When used properly, door alarms, pool alarms and automatic pool covers add extra protection.

• The use of specifically-made drain covers, safety vacuum-release systems, multiple filter pumps and other pressure-venting pool filter mechanisms can reduce the risk of entrampments.

• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device when on a boat, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports. It is estimated that 62 percent of boating-related drownings could have been prevented if the child had been wearing a personal flotation device. Most boating fatalities that occurred during 2008 were caused by drowning, with 90 percent of victims not wearing life jackets; the remainder were due to trauma, hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning or other causes. Air-filled swimming aids, such as water wings and inner tubes, are not safety devices and should never be substituted for PFDs.

• Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment (like a lifesaving ring), a telephone and emergency phone numbers poolside.