As summer winds down, it is time to look at the drowning stats for August 2022. Following the trend from the last few months, we are witnessing a drop in drowning incidents. Of course, while the goal is always zero, any drop should be viewed as a victory. Read on for a closer look at the drowning statistics and causes for August 2022.
Understanding Drowning Statistics for August 2022
Chances are, if you are a regular reader of this Safety Blog, then you take water safety very seriously. That’s great, because so do the fine folks at Total Aquatic Programming. Each month, they share detailed drowning statistics and charts. These include data points on causes and locations.
Careful examination of these drowning stats helps water safety experts to discover potential hazards that are causing harm. For 13 years, these month-by-month drowning numbers have been shared in order to help prevent further dangers.
Using this information, water safety experts work to improve general education and life-saving rescue practices. In addition, these stats can help to pinpoint areas of training that need greater focus.
At the beginning of each month, the charts and maps supplied by Total Aquatic Programming let us know the number of drownings for particular age groups, activities and locations. Each of these drowning incidents is based on reports from reputable news sources.
The basic drowning stats for August 2022 track more than 15 separate items from every drowning that occurs throughout the country.
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.
As always, we encourage our readers to check out our full Child Safety Source interview with Total Aquatic Programming’s Mick Nelson to learn more about the team behind this valuable data.
Chart: Drowning Stats for August 2022
In the chart below, you can clearly see that when it comes to total drowning incidents, August 2022 is tied with August 2009. Together, these are the lowest numbers that have been recorded.
As mentioned earlier, obviously any loss of life is a tragedy. However, if we continue to see a downward trajectory, that is quite encouraging. In a nutshell, this implies that water safety education and training are clearly moving in the right direction.
Teenage Troubles
While there are drops in most categories, one area of concern remains teenagers. This is the second month in a row during which we are seeing an increase in teen drownings. In this regard, it is possible that teens are taking far more risks than the other age groups. Perhaps post-pandemic, they are hitting the waters a bit more recklessly than usual. Alcohol may also be a common culprit. To learn more, we have written an article specifically about the dangers teens face on the water.
Fences and Ladders
In the drowning stats for August 2022, ladders were a relatively common cause for drowning incidents. No matter your age, entering and exiting a pool can be deceptively dangerous. A ladder can easily come loose if it is not properly installed. If the stairs or ladder are slippery, it is easy to fall off. Ladder safety should be taken seriously when maintaining a pool or boat.
Similar to a properly installed ladder, poorly installed or broken pool fences also led to a number of drownings last month. Always be sure to install a quality pool fence that can stand up to both human and weather-based elements. A pool fence that is too short or can be easily toppled will not offer much protection at all. It can even become a tripping hazard. Read this blog to learn what to look for in a quality mesh pool fence.
