Drownings rise for first time in decades; young children face high risk

Drowning deaths jumped for the first time in decades after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis found. More than 4,500 people fatally drowned each year between 2020 and 2022, the agency says. The study, published in the agency’s Vital Signs report, found a sharp rise in pre-pandemic drowning rates, especially among young children and those with American Indian/Alaska Native and Black/African American ancestry.

Drowning rates were “significantly” higher between 2020 and 2022 than before the pandemic, researchers write. In 2019, 1.2 per 100,000 people accidentally drowned, but that number rose to 1.4 in 2020 and 2021 before diminishing slightly to 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2022.

Men and boys were most likely to die by drowning, though the study also showed a 22.2% increase in drownings among women and girls in 2021. The highest drowning rates occurred among 1- to 4-year-olds and adults older than 65. The sharp increase in unintentional drownings among children could reflect pandemic-era disruptions and increased exposure to backyard pools, the researchers note.

As in previous years, accidental drownings varied by race and ethnicity. They remained highest among American Indian/Alaska Native people and rose most among Black/African American people, whose drowning deaths jumped 22.2% in 2020 and 28.3% in 2021.

The research also reported that an estimated 40 million adults said they did not know how to swim. Women, older adults and Black adults were likeliest to report not knowing how to swim. While 51.8% of white adults reported having taken swimming lessons at some point in their lives, just 36.9% of Black and 28.1% of Hispanic adults said they had taken swim lessons.

Black adults also reported spending less time swimming compared with white adults. This reflects ongoing barriers to swimming participation, the researchers write, including pool closures, staffing shortages, and a lack of culturally responsive swimming and water safety skills programs.

“People need access to swimming lessons,” said Deborah Houry, CDC’s deputy director for program and science and chief medical officer, in a May 14 news briefing. “More than half of all U.S. adults have never had a swim lesson.”

The researchers recommend emphasizing basic swimming and water safety skills and investing in evidence-based prevention strategies that address systemic barriers to swimming and water safety training.

“It’s never too late to take that swim lesson to get those water safety skills, particularly as we’re going into the summer,” Houry said. “It’s really a crucial time, it can save your life.”