The drowning stats for September 2021 are here. Unfortunately, we don’t have good news this month. After an up-and-down summer, the drowning incidents for the past month are worse than ever before.
U.S. Drowning Stats for September 2021
Over time, Life Saver Pool Fence has been sharing monthly national drowning stats and maps. With careful analysis, numbers and statistics like these can be an invaluable tool for drowning experts and concerned citizens. With a brief glance at the numbers, anyone interested in preventing possible tragedies can notice possible trends and use them to improve education in those areas.
Today, we will be comparing last month’s data with data from each month of September over the past 12 years. This information, presented by Total Aquatic Programming, has a lot to tell us. Along with location and age, there are many factors that go into these reports.
In fact, Total Aquatic Programming’s data tracks 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.
Chart: Drowning Statistics for September 2009-2021
After a look at the chart below, the drowning stats for September 2021 are not encouraging. In fact, they are the worst September on record.
In fact, it’s the worst month by a surprisingly wide margin. This is surprising following the generally mild summer. None of the summer months were anywhere near as statistically alarming. What could be the cause?
Well, this will always be a matter of speculation. We see a major uptick in all categories. One obvious reason is likely the recent lessening of COVID-19 restrictions. Now, to be clear, this isn’t related to the actual virus. Swimming, as we’ve written about in the past, is quite safe during COVID-19. Even the CDC agrees.
That said, the lower numbers in the summer may have led to more lax standards on swimming safety. As you can see, the people most affected are adults. That said, there are a lot of children who have drowned as well.
In most of these drowning cases, open water seems to be the issue. Swimming pools are always a danger, but these areas can be made safer by installing multiple layers of security.
For open water, even more caution must be shown. Be careful while boating or swimming in lakes. There can be hidden dangers that people may not realize.
Understanding The Numbers: Drowning Maps for 2019/2020/2021
In addition to the September 2021 drowning stats, Total Aquatic Programming has provided us with two additional graphics. The first is a nationwide drowning map for all of 2020. This map identifies “hot spots” of child drowning incidents on a state-by-state basis. Please take a look at the map below. It has been updated to include all drownings that have occurred since July 2008.
Thanks to 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.
