On the whole, it’s been a rather safer month when it comes to the improvements seen in the national drowning stats. Regular readers of this blog know that once a month, we take a look at the drowning stats from across the United States. These numbers and detailed maps are brought to you by our friends at USA Swimming.
At Life Saver Pool Fence, we are always proud to share this information with our audience. By exploring these statistics, we can achieve a better idea of the status of our nation’s water safety and drowning prevention levels. USA Swimming’s drowning stats allow us to focus our attention on particular successes and failures that are trending. Over time, these identifiable trends can be used to show the blind spots that everyone should be careful to avoid.
U.S. Drowning Stats for September 2019
As usual, USA Swimming’s drowning stats point to the number of drowning deaths across the nation during the month. Additionally, this chart compares this September’s numbers to previous September statistics going back to the year 2009.
As always, this basic chart focuses on four key age groups and how they are affected by drowning:
- Children aged four and younger
- Children aged 12 and under
- Teenagers
- Adults, meaning anyone older than teens
Chart: U.S. Drowning Stats for September 2019
| September | Total | Child 4 & Under | Child 12 & Under | Teen | Adult |
| 2019-Sept | 147 | 25 | 11 | 13 | 98 |
| 2018-Sept | 178 | 19 | 7 | 14 | 138 |
| 2017-Sept | 206 | 27 | 11 | 16 | 152 |
| 2016-Sept | 171 | 27 | 12 | 15 | 117 |
| 2015-Sept | 125 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 90 |
| 2014-Sept | 175 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 134 |
| 2013-Sept | 213 | 26 | 9 | 20 | 158 |
| 2012-Sept | 184 | 32 | 7 | 18 | 127 |
| 2011-Sept | 187 | 27 | 11 | 14 | 135 |
| 2010-Sept | 185 | 35 | 12 | 24 | 114 |
| 2009-Sept | 143 | 27 | 7 | 18 | 91 |
As these numbers show, it’s been a very good month! While there unfortunately were 147 tragic drowning incidents, that’s a significant drop from 2018. Actually, it’s the lowest total number since 2015.
In addition to this total number, the drowning stats for teens and adults saw tremendous dips since last year. Unfortunately, there was a slight uptick in drowning reports for children. To help protect children in the water, education and swimming lessons are powerful tools.
Drowning Map for 2019
In addition to the chart above, USA Swimming has developed an up-to-date nationwide map. This map identifies “hot spots” of child drowning incidents on a state-by-state basis. Below, please take a look at the map. It has been updated to include all drownings through July of 2019.
Understanding This Map
Please note that the numbers inside each state represent the ages of the children, not the number of children. Each age represents one child. So, if a child was 10-11-12 years old, their age is underlined so as not to confuse as two separate numbers. For example, a twelve-year-old would be listed on the map as “12.”
Where Do These Drowning Stats Come From?
Same as every month, September 2019’s drowning stats are brought to you thanks to the team at USA Swimming. This group is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is an extension of the United States Olympic Committee. In fact, USA Swimming is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other swimming teams that officially represent the nation.
For any curious readers who are interested in learning more about the people behind USA Swimming, watch our full Child Safety Source interview with USA Swimming’s Facilities Development Director Mick Nelson. Additionally, you can visit their official website.
