Florida Drowning Statistics 2021

• Drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years of age in the United States.

• The majority of drownings of children between the ages of 1-4 occur in residential swimming pools.

• The percentage of child drowning deaths in public pools with lifeguards on duty is 19%.

• Six people drown in pools each day in the United States.

• Per Florida Dept. of Health statistics on drowning in 2019, there have been total of 1,054 drownings and 205 of those involved children.

• The counties in Florida with some of the highest drowning numbers are Broward, Hillsborough, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Pasco and Pinellas.

• In 2014, there were about 800 children or 2 per day in the United States who lost their lives to drowning.

• Florida has the second highest number of total drownings right behind Texas.

Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths of children ages 1-4, according to the Florida Dept. of Health.

• More American children die today from drowning than from car accidents.

• If the child survives a neardrowning, as many as 10% them will suffer permanent brain damage.

• There are 1.2 million backyard and public pools and tens of thousands of natural bodies of water in Florida where possibility of drowning can occur.

• Over 90% of Florida home pools were built prior to the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act in 2000. The Act requires specific safety measures are in place at the home.