Safe Swimming

Prevent Drowning

Drowning in Virginia

• From 2016-2020, 32% of drowning-related hospitalizations in Virginia were children aged 0-4 years.
• Almost 1 out of 2 (48%) hospitalizations among Virginia children aged 0-4 years from 2016-2020 were due to drowning in swimming pools.
• Every four days, one Virginia resident dies by drowning.

Drowning in the United States:

• Drowning kills more kids 1‒4 years old than anything else except birth defects.
• For children ages 5–14 years, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
• Every day, about 10 people in the U.S. die from drowning.
• While children are at highest risk, anyone can drown.
• Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male.

What you can do

Stay safe in and around the water:

• Make sure everyone has basic swimming and water safety skills.
• Formal swimming lessons in children as young as 1 year old can reduce the risk of drowning.
• Use U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jackets as directed.
• Remember that floaties, water wings, inner tubes, foams, and other air filled devices are TOYS and not safety devices and can often provide a false sense of safety to guardians and swimmers.
• Designate a responsible adult to closely and constantly supervise children in or near the water.
• Know how to recognize and respond to a swimmer in distress and how to perform CPR.
• No matter how strong of a swimmer you are, never swim alone.
• Don’t drink and swim.  Alcohol slows your reactions and can make you make bad decisions. Stay out of the water if you’ve been drinking.

Help keep backyard pools safe:

• Prevent access to water when pool is not in use.
• Install and maintain barriers that fully enclose the pool and separate it from the house, like four-sided fencing.
• Use locks and alarms for windows and doors.
• Remove all toys from the pool area that might attract children to the pool when not in use.