AUSTIN, Texas — The annual drowning and submersion report released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found drownings remain high for children under the age of 15.
CPSC's latest data for the U.S. shows the following for children younger than 15:
- Between 2018 and 2020, there was an average of 371 pool or spa-related fatal drownings reported per year
- The number of fatal drownings in 2020 was 340, down approximately 7% from the previous year, when 367 fatal child drownings occurred
- The number of estimated non-fatal drowning injuries in 2022 was 6,400, which was statistically the same as 2021
"The majority of these deaths occurred to children under the age of five, so the youngest and most vulnerable," said Nikki Fleming, a spokesperson for CPSC.
Drownings continue to be the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 years old.
"The youngest ... are usually attracted to water," Fleming said. "You know, they're curious about the water."
Fleming said it's important to designate a water watcher and an adult supervisor to keep their eyes on the kids at all times around the water.
One other thing the CPSC report highlights are the racial disparities in relation to fatal and non-fatal drownings. Of the 63% of child drownings where race was known, 21% involved African-American children.
"Historical racism, segregation, no access to pools does have something to do with it. Including additional barriers when it comes to learning how to swim," Fleming said. "We know that it can be a generational issue as well. If your parents don't know how to swim, there's a likelihood that you will never learn how to swim either."
In Central Texas, within the KVUE viewing area, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reported four fatal drownings in 2022. So far this year, we've had one, in Hays County.