Drowning is killing more American children than it did five years ago, reversing a decades-long trend that had cut child drowning deaths by more than a third between 2000 and 2019.
The number of unintentional child drowning deaths in the United States rose from 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024, the most recent year for which complete data is available, according to ABC News. Most of those deaths involved children younger than 5. Drowning remains the number one cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and one of the top killers of children ages 5 to 14.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a warning about the trend. "When drowning occurs, seconds matter," said Dr. Rohit Shenoi, the warning's lead author. "Quick rescue and resuscitation can mean the difference between life, death and lifelong disability."
Across all ages, about 4,000 to 5,000 Americans drown each year, with most deaths occurring among adults in natural bodies of water such as lakes, ponds or oceans. For children, most drownings happen in swimming pools. Very young children sometimes drown in bathtubs.
Drowning rates vary significantly by race and age group. The rate is higher for white children in the younger age group, but much higher for Black, American Indian and Alaska Native children in the 5-to-14 age range.
The story of Stewie Leonard illustrates how quickly tragedy can strike. The 21-month-old drowned during a 1989 family vacation in St. Martin, while more than a dozen adults and kids were gathered nearby at a birthday party for his older sister. His father, Stew Leonard, the CEO of the Stew Leonard's grocery chain, had been outside hanging balloons. His mother, Kim, was inside baking a cake.
"I saw Stewie outside and I assumed that he (Leonard) was watching him," Kim said, explaining that other relatives were also near the pool. "We never communicated with each other; 'You've got him?'" said Kim Leonard, now 65. "When everyone's watching, nobody's watching."
Stew Leonard, now 71, recalled the moment: "There were a couple of balloons floating in the water. And you know after a few minutes, sort of everybody was like, 'Where's Stewie?' Unfortunately I was the one who found him. He was face down in the pool."
The family went on to start a foundation that funds children's swimming lessons and promotes drowning prevention. Several Stew Leonard's stores now feature an animatronic life-jacketed duck named Stewie that sings about drowning safety.
Progress made over prior decades was substantial. Child drowning deaths fell from around 2,000 per year in the 1980s to below 1,000 per year by the early 2000s, driven by public awareness campaigns, expanded access to swimming lessons and the adoption of pool fencing laws.
