Safety Facts

Children drown in pools, spas, toilets and bathtubs. A child can drown in as little as two inches of water.

A child can drown in less time than it takes to answer the telephone.

67% of all drowning deaths occur in their own backyard pool, spa or hot tub.

The majority of drowning incidents occur while the caretaker assumed the child was safely indoors.

25% of all children who have drowned or nearly drowned have had swimming lessons. The risk of a drowning or near drowning is highest during the first six months a family has a pool.

For every drowning, an additional five near drowning cases are treated in the emergency room. Irreversible brain damage occurs in 3 to 5 minutes.

In California there are more than 330 people with irreversible brain damage because of near drowning incidents. Of this total more than 75 people are currently hospitalized at a cost of $120,000 per year for life.

Drowning is a silent killer. The victims don't cry for help. They are not getting enough air to breathe, so they don't have the extra air needed to call for help.