SWIMMING STATISTICS

OVER 4 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD CANNOT SWIM. IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH INCOMES OF LESS THAN 50,000 79% OF CHILDREN HAVE MINIMAL OR NO SWIMMING ABILITY. IF A PARENT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM, THERE IS ONLY A 13 % CHANCE THAT A CHILD IN THAT HOUSEHOLD WILL LEARN HOW TO SWIM.

*DROWNING STATISTICS 

-MORE THAN 3,400 PEOPLE DROWNED IN THE UNITED STATES LAST YEAR.  

-OVER 320,000 INDIVIDUALS DROWNED WORLWIDE FOR THE SAME YEAR.

-ABOUT ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE WHO DIE FROM DROWNING ARE CHILDREN 14 AND YOUNGER. NEARLY 80% OF PEOPLE WHO DIE FROM DROWNING ARE MALE 

-CHILDREN AGED 1-14 YEARS, FATAL DROWNING REMAINS THE SECOND-LEADING CAUSE OF UNINTENTIONAL INJURY-RELATED DEATH BEHIND MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES 

-70% OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN AND NEARLY 60% OF HISPANIC CHILDREN HAVE LOW OR NO SWIM ABILITY, COMPARED TO 40% OF CAUCASIANS 

-88% OF DROWNINGS OCCUR WITH AT LEAST ONE ADULT PRESENT 

-MOST DROWNING OF THOSE 15 YEARS OR OLDER OCCUR IN LAKES, RIVERS OR THE OCEAN 

-SWIMMING LESSONS FROM A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR OR A SCHOOL REDUCED THE INCIDENCE OF CHILDHOOD DROWNINGS BY 88%

*LOCATIONS 

-PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES DROWN IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, MOST CHILDREN AGES 1-4 DROWN IN HOME SWIMMING POOLS. THE PERCENTAGE OF DROWNINGS IN NATURAL WATER SETTINGS, INCLUDES LAKES, RIVERS AND OCEANS, INCREASES WITH AGE. MORE THAN HALF OF FATAL AND NON-FATAL DROWNINGS AMONG THOSE 15 YEARS AND OLDER OCCURRED IN NATURAL WATER SETTINGS.