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World Drowning Prevention Day

July 25, 2024

Written by: Rosalind Ghafar Rogers, PhD, LMHC, Clinical Behavioral Health Subject Matter Expert
with USCRI’s Refugee Health Services in Arlington, VA

It takes only a few seconds – coupled with a lack of knowledge and skills – for someone to drown. However, with the right awareness and actions, those seconds can save a life, instead. July 25 marks World Drowning Prevention Day and USCRI wants to raise awareness of the problem and promote knowledge and actions that can be taken to keep ourselves and our families and communities safe in, around, or on the water. As the recommended slogan for World Drowning Prevention Day states, “Anyone can drown, no one should” (WHO, 2024).

As one of the 10 leading causes of death for individuals 1-24-years-old, nearly a quarter of a million people around the world die every year from drowning (WHO, 2024). Globally, more than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, domestic water vessels, and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries (WHO, 2024). In high-income countries, drowning rates are higher among certain age groups and minority ethnic groups. In the U.S., drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages one to four (Clemens et al., 2024).  According to a new study by the CDC (Clemens et al., 2024), drowning deaths have been on the rise in the U.S. after decades of decline, with over 4,500 deaths from drowning each year from 2020 to 2022 which is 500 more deaths per year compared to 2019. The study found that the highest drowning rates were among Black and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) people (Clemens et al., 2024).  A little over 15% of all adults in the U.S. do not know how to swim and slightly over 54% have never take a swimming lesson, however differences were noted between race and ethnicity, with approximately 63% of Black adults, 72% of Hispanic adults, and 53% of adults of other racial or ethnic groups never taking a swimming lesson compared to 48% of White adults (Clemens et al., 2024). In another study (Willcox et al., 2020), migrants were found to be at an increased risk of drowning because of unfamiliarity with and a lack of preparation towards their new host environment.

What contributes to higher rates of drowning among children of all races and ethnicities and among adults from ethnic minority groups? Racial and ethnic disparities are likely influenced by complex historical, structural, environmental, cultural, and social factors. Below are factors that increase the likelihood of drowning:

  • Social determinants of health such as racial/ethnic minority populations, low socioeconomic status (SES), age, migrants/immigrants/refugees, living in rural and remote areas, lack of English language proficiency, and historical and cultural factors, like past cultural or racial injustices and cultural beliefs or practices (Clemens et al., 2024). Many racial/ethnic minority populations, including migrants and refugees, may be of low SES and therefore may not be able to afford swimming lessons or lessons may not be available in their communities. For some cultural and ethnic communities, water may be feared, pool environments may be unfamiliar, and recreational swimming may not be valued. Some swimming pools may not allow clothing that protects modesty or offer gender-segregated swimming lessons that may be required for some ethnic and religious groups.
  • Poor or no swimming ability and lack of water safety and CPR/first-aid knowledge and skills.
  • Structural and environmental barriers, such as lack of access to public swimming pools and lack of culturally appropriate swimming and water safety programs. In the U.S., there are approximately 10.7 million swimming pools, and among those over 10.4 million are private residential pools and only 309,000 are public pools (Mayersohn, 2023). Although public swimming pools were already on the decline for several decades, COVID-19 exacerbated the situation, leading to more public pools closing and decreased municipal funding for public swimming pools, as well as lifeguards (Denny et al., 2021).

These disparities and barriers can be addressed through state and municipal funding to build and maintain public pools and through community-based programs by providing free or low-cost swim lessons, developing swimming and water safety programs that are culturally appropriate, and hiring diverse aquatic staff that look and speak like the communities they serve (CDC, 2024).

WATER SAFETY AND DROWNING PREVENTION

Drowning can happen to anyone, but there are proven layers of protection that can prevent drowning. The layers of protection in and around water include:

 

Water Competency. Water competency includes ways of improving water safety for yourself and those around you by taking sensible precautions in and around water, developing water safety skills, and knowing how to prevent and respond to emergencies.

  1. Basic Swimming and Water Safety Skills. Children (as young as age one) and adults should learn basic swimming and water safety skills, such as entering deeper water (above your head) and then returning to the surface; floating or treating water for at least one minute; swimming at least 25 yards; and exiting the water.
    • Part of basic swimming and water safety skills includes teaching children to:
      • Always ask permission to go near any body of water
      • Never push, shove, or roughhouse in water
      • Never hyperventilate (breathing at an abnormally rapid rate) before swimming underwater or try to hold their breath underwater for a long time because it can cause one to pass out and drown.
    • Communities and organizations should provide education to migrants and refugees about water safety and promote affordable swimming and water safety lessons through organizations, such as:

Swimming | Swim Classes & Training | Red Cross

Find Your Y | YMCA of the USA

U.S. Swim School Association Find a School

USA Swimming – Learn to Swim

Step Into Swim – Find a Qualified Instructor

  1. Water Smarts. Become knowledgeable about safety precautions and safe decision making when in or around water, such as:
    • Know your own limitations, including physical fitness, medications, and medical conditions. Know if your or your child’s medical condition may increase the risk of drowning and take extra care. Avoid swimming if taking medications that affect balance, coordination, or judgment.
    • Always swim with a buddy, even if a lifeguard is around.
    • Always swim in a lifeguarded area.
    • Be aware of, understand, and adjust for the unique dangers of open waters (lakes, rivers, and oceans), such as:
      • Water temperature: Open water is usually colder than water in swimming pools, which can affect swimming ability.
      • Limited visibility: Water in lakes and ponds can be murky, hiding hazards such as rocks, logs, and uneven surfaces.
      • Depth, distance, and drop-offs: Open water rarely has depth markings, making it difficult to know when approaching water that is over our heads. It can also be hard to perceive distance from the shore. Although there may be a gradual slope entering the water near shore, there might be a sudden drop-off further out. Always swim in designated swimming areas and check signs for warnings about potential hazards.
      • Current and tides: Currents in oceans, rivers, creeks, and streams can be fast-moving, invisible, and unpredictable. In oceans, waves and rip currents can be dangerous. Avoid swimming at unsupervised beaches or in areas not designated for swimming.
    • Avoid drinking alcohol or other substances that impair judgment, balance, or coordination before or during swimming, boating, or other water activities, as well as while supervising children.
  2. Emergency Preparation. Performing CPR could save someone’s life in the time it takes for paramedics to arrive. Many organizations like the American Red Crossand American Heart Association offer CPR training courses, both online and in-person. Learn and practice CPR, especially if you live in a home with a pool or are frequently around water.

Close, Constant, & Capable Adult Supervision. An adult should always be within arms’ length of infants, toddlers, and children who are not strong swimmers whenever they are in or near water. Parents and caregivers should always maintain active supervision, even when a lifeguard is on duty. Assign a Water watcher who is a responsible adult who agrees to actively and constantly supervise children in or around water without engaging in other activities or distractions for 15 minutes at a time (NDPA, n.d.). Flotation devices are NOT a substitute for supervision.

Life Jackets and Personal Flotation Devices (PFD). U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) tested and approved life jackets or PFDs should be worn by everyone when in or around natural or open bodies of water and when on a boat or kayak. Life jackets or PFDs are also an important layer of protection for children or adults who lack water competency or are inexperienced swimmers. Inflatable arm bands, inner tubes, or other inflatable water toys are never a substitute or replacement for USCG approved life jackets. If a PFD or life jacket sold by a retailer does not include information about being USCG tested and approved, then it cannot be considered a safe layer of protection. Any USCG approved life jacket/PFD will have a weight range listed on the tag or on the life jacket itself, so life jackets should be sized appropriately for the wearer (NDPA, n.d.). For more information on how to choose the safest life jacket for kids, refer to THIS ARTICLE by the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.

Barriers and Alarms. It is important that physical barriers are in place to restrict access to water and alarms can be used on windows, doors, gates, and pools to alert to unauthorized access. Fences should be at least four feet high with self-closing and self-latching gates (NDPA, n.d.). Pool covers offer another physical layer of protection.

Drowning can happen to anyone anywhere near water, but when the layers of protection are used together, the risk of drowning is significantly reduced, and lives can be saved.

For more information and resources, please see the links below:

National Drowning Prevention Alliance

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Drowning Prevention

American Red Cross

YMCA Water Safety and Swimming

American Academy of Pediatrics Drowning Prevention and Water Safety

National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants Summer Safety Collection (information available in Dari, Pashto, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Kinyarwanda, Russian, Spanish, Swahili/Congolese, and Ukrainian)

 

References

CDC. (2024). Drowning deaths rise in the United States. CDC Newsroom.

Clemens, T., Moreland, B., Mack, K. A., Thomas, K., Bergen, G., & Lee, R. (2024). Vital Signs: Drowning Death Rates, Self-Reported Swimming Skill, Swimming Lesson Participation, and Recreational Water Exposure — United States, 2019–2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 73,467–473. http://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7320e1

Denny, S. A., Quan, L., Gilchrist, J., McCallin, T., Shenoi, R., Yusuf, S., Weiss, J., & Hoffman, B. (2021). Prevention of drowning. Technical report. Pediatrics, 148(2), e2021052227.

Mayersohn, N. (2023). Why Americans stopped building public pools. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/22/business/public-pools-extreme-heat

NDPA. (n.d.). Water competency. Retrieved from https://ndpa.org/water-competency/

WHO. (2024). World Drowning Prevention Day 2024. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-drowning-prevention-day/2024

 


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