WASHINGTON — As families take to the water this summer, there is reason for extra caution: Two-thirds of fatal drownings occur each year between May and August. New research out today, conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide with support from Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen program, presents the scope of the drowning problem in the U.S. and uncovers misconceptions that are giving families a false sense of security and leading to these far too common tragedies.
Drowning in the U.S.: The Scope of the Problem
In 2014, 784 children fatally drowned in the U.S., and more than half of them were under age 5. In fact, among preventable injuries, drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years of age, the second leading cause of death for children 5-14 years of age, and the third leading cause for children under 1 and older teens ages 15-17.
The new report shows that drowning risk varies by a child’s age and location:
- Children less than a year old are more likely to drown at home in a bathroom or bucket
- Children 1-4 years old are more likely to drown in a pool
- Children ages 5 years and older are more likely to drown in natural water, such as ponds, lakes and rivers
“Drowning is silent and quick. Far too many of our sons and daughters are drowning,” said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “We need to get the word out to all parents to debunk the common and persistent misconceptions that can lead to drowning.”
Persistent Misconceptions
The research exposed that a number of misconceptions persist regarding water safety, and that if left unchallenged, can increase children’s risk of drowning.
“At Nationwide, we believe it is critical to start with caregivers’ current understanding as a foundation to inform the home safety tips and tools that we put out through the Make Safe Happen program,” said Elicia Azali, Associate Vice President at Nationwide. “We are so grateful to partner with the experts at Safe Kids Worldwide on this new research that will continue to help guide our collective water safety efforts.”
Some of the misconceptions include:
Misconception 1: I will hear my child if he/she gets in trouble in the water and starts to drown.
Drowning is silent. In real life, there can be very little splashing, waving or screaming.
FINDING: Nearly half of the parents surveyed think that if a child was drowning nearby, they would hear him/her.
TIP: Keep your eyes on your kids when they are in the water.
Misconception 2: Nothing bad will happen if I take my full attention off of my child for a couple of minutes.
Drowning is quick. The reality is that once a child begins to struggle, parents may have less than a minute to react.
FINDING: One in three parents surveyed has left their child at a pool for two or more minutes without supervision.
TIP: Because drowning happens fast, keep young children within arms’ reach of an adult at all times. Make sure older children swim with a partner.
Misconception 3: If there is a lifeguard present, I don’t need to worry as much about actively supervising my child in and around water.
A lifeguard’s job is to enforce pool rules, scan, rescue and resuscitate, not keep an eye on any specific child.
FINDING: More than half of the parents surveyed think that when present, a lifeguard is the main person responsible for their child’s supervision.
TIP: Be alert and responsible for your child when he/she is in or around water. If you are socializing, like at a pool party, assign a Water Watcher so everyone is clear who is watching the kids at any given time.
Misconception 4: If my child has had swim lessons I don’t have to worry about him/her drowning.
Swim lessons are essential, but skill level varies.
FINDING: A review of children who drowned in a pool revealed that 42 percent of 5 to 17 year olds reportedly knew how to swim.
TIP: Swimming skills are developed and improve over time. Make sure your child learns to swim and develops these five water survival skills:
- Step or jump into the water over their heads
- Return to the surface and float or tread water for one minute
- Turn around in a full circle and find an exit from the water
- Swim 25 yards to the exit
- Exit from the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder
Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to take CPR training, download a Water Watcher Card, and visit www.SafeKids.org and www.MakeSafeHappen.com for more information.
The full report includes more misconceptions, detailed findings and additional statistics.
About Safe Kids Worldwide
Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to prevent childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Since 1988, Safe Kids has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from unintentional injury by 60 percent. Working together, we can do much more for kids everywhere. Join our effort at safekids.org.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side, Join the Nation and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
About Make Safe Happen
Make Safe Happen is a program dedicated to reducing accidental injury – the leading cause of death among children. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly nine million children are treated at emergency rooms across the country and more than 9,000 children die each year due to accidental injuries. Protecting child safety and wellbeing for more than 60 years, Nationwide launched Make Safe Happen in 2015 to empower parents, caregivers and children with tools and resources to make homes safer. Together with its Advisory Council, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Worldwide, Make Safe Happen is committed to inspiring one million safety actions by the end of 2016 with the hope of reducing childhood accidental injury and death. To learn more and take action, visit www.makesafehappen.com.
Source: Safe Kids Worldwide