2016 was one for the record books, but unfortunately not all of the records were positive. According to the USA Swimming Foundation, there were at least 320 media reported fatal drownings in 2016 involving children younger than 15 in swimming pools and spas. This number is up slightly from the previous year. The states with the highest number of fatal child drownings include:
- Florida (40)
- Texas (40)
- California (29)
- Arizona (24)
- Georgia (14)
- Ohio (13)
As you make your New Year resolutions, why not consider adding water safety to the list? We can and must do more this year to keep kids safer in pools and spas.
Start by taking or renewing the Pool Safely Pledge in 2017. Next, review the simple safety steps to help you and your family stay safer around the water. Finally, don’t forget to share the Pledge and other safety information with your family, friends and community. PoolSafely.gov offers a wealth of resources and free materials that make it easy to share lifesaving information.
On a positive note, there were nine states and the District of Columbia with zero media-reported fatal drowning incidents in 2016. These are: Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Vermont, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. We want this list to be much longer at the end of this year.
Check out the map below to see where your state landed on the list and resolve to be safer in and around the water in 2017.
