DROWNING STATISTICS (Why EVERY child should learn to swim)

Wendy 4 Swim...teaching lessons in water safety for over 50 years!

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Children are naturally drawn to water. Just watch your 2 year old splash in the puddles after the next rain storm. The fact that you don't have or visit a pool, and you don't go to the beach or lake, does not keep your child safe from drowning. A child can drown in six inches of water! A fountain in a mall, a park, or downtown business area is a magnet for small children. A trip to Fisherman's Wharf, the aquarium, Sea World, or the zoo, are all potentially hazardous outings for a child who has little or no training in the basic fundamentals of water safety.

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Below is a list of drowning statistics provided by various authorities. Accidents can happen no matter how safe we think our children are, or how vigilant we are as parents.

In 2004, there were 3,308 unintentional drownings in the United States, an average of nine people per day.(CDC 2006) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In 2004, of all children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006). Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC 2005)U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Of all preschoolers who drown, 70 percent are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning and 75 percent are missing from sight for five minutes or less. Orange County, CA, Fire Authority

A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a child age 4 and under. Orange County, CA, Fire Authority

It is estimated that for each drowning death, there are 1 to 4 nonfatal submersions serious enough to result in hospitalization. Children who still require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the time they arrive at the emergency department have a poor prognosis, with at least half of survivors suffering significant neurologic impairment. American Academy of Pediatrics

19% of drowning deaths involving children occur in public pools with certified lifeguards present. Drowning Prevention Foundation

An estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to unintentional drowning-related incidents each year; 15 percent die in the hospital and as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent neurological disability. National Safety Council

The majority of children who survive (92 percent) are discovered within two minutes following submersion, and most children who die (86 percent) are found after 10 minutes. Nearly all who require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) die or are left with severe brain injury. National Safe Kids Campaign

PLEASE ENROLL YOUR CHILDREN IN SWIMMING LESSONS SOMEWHERE! It could save their lives!