The drowning stats for August 2021 are here and unfortunately, they continue a rising trend. We have seen a stark rise in drownings during the month of August year over year. August 2020 showed a marked increase over August 2019, which was already an increase over August 2018.
Now, these aren’t the worst overall August results on record… but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. It’s time for a closer look at these drowning stats and maps, provided by Total Aquatic Programming.
U.S. Drowning Stats for August 2021
As our regular readers have come to expect, in the beginning of each month, the Life Saver Pool Fence Safety Blog reports the results of expertly collected monthly U.S. drowning stats. Numbers and statistics are an invaluable tool for measuring and examining water safety trends. In fact, big data can point us to potential pitfall or places where more education is needed.
These items include, but are not limited to:
- date
- state
- city
- county
- age and gender of the victim
- ethnicity, if recorded
- body of water in which the drowning occurred
- and several other circumstances that can help to provide some guidance in the prevention of future drownings.
Even more detailed information can be found on Total Aquatic Programming’s official page.
Chart: Drowning Statistics for August 2009-2021
Now, as we’ve been saying for quite some time, COVID-19 social distancing and swimming safety guidelines have certainly played a part in these drowning stats for August 2021. That’s an obvious takeaway.
Still, a closer look shows that this upward trend in total drowning incidents didn’t start last year. After a serious reduction in the number of drownings between 2017 and 2018, the numbers have been steadily increasing. Hopefully this will not ultimately result in a return to the all-time charted high of 2016, but it is crucial that water safety experts redouble their efforts.
Education, in addition to installing multiple layers of security such as pool fences and self-latching gates, are both key to securing a swimming area. This year has seen the highest number of adult drownings on record for August since this data began being recorded in 2009. Additionally, there seems to be an alarming number of children aged four and under involved in drowning instances this year. It is often said, but bears repeating: according to the CDC, drowning is the number one cause of death for children of this age bracket.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to consider extra security measures and swimming lessons for their little ones. Swimming lessons can be administered to children far younger than many folks realize.
Understanding The Numbers: Drownings by State Map
In addition to the August 2021 drowning stats, Total Aquatic Programming has provided us with an additional graphic. The first is a nationwide drowning map for July 2008 to July 2021.
The Source of These Drowning Statistics
All of these U.S. drowning stats and graphics are brought to us courtesy of Sue and Mick Nelson of Total Aquatic Programming, LLC. USA Swimming, the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States, also uses this information. If you are interested in learning more about the people behind this data, watch our full Child Safety Source interview with Mick Nelson. Additionally, you can visit Total Aquatic Programming’s official website to see even more in-depth information about drowning danger and statistics.
