Issue 93 | Drowning and Water Safety

In this issue of Waveline™, Pkdata explores water safety, particularly industry data on drowning, as it relates to the Pool & Spa Industry. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), drowning is technically defined as experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid with outcomes classified as death, morbidity, and no morbidity¹.

Based on recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)², it is estimated that 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings occur yearly. In addition, an average of 8,000 nonfatal drownings take place where a person survives a near-drowning incident. Although there are few studies on the topic, research shows that 40% of drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer to a higher level of care.

In the United States, drowning is the leading cause of death in children between the ages of 1 and 4 years and the second cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 14 (fatal motor vehicle accidents are number one). Other high-risk groups include males, Native Americans, African Americans, and people with heart disease, seizure disorders, and/or autism². Drowning is a significant public health problem worldwide, although low- and middle-income countries have a higher incidence. Besides the global health impact, the economic impact is also substantial but hard to measure.