Facts About Teen and Young Adult Drownings

Know the water. Know your limits. Wear a life jacket.

Who

• Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for 15 to 19 year-olds in Washington State.* From 1997-2001, there were 69 unintentional drownings among Washington youth ages 15 to 19. In 2002, newspapers reported that 19 teens and young adults ages 15 to 24 died from drowning while swimming, boating or wading.
• The ratio of teenage drowning deaths in Washington State is about ten males to every one female.
• More teens and young adults die from drowning than young children do in our state. From 1997 to 2001, 63 children ages 9 and younger died compared to 121 teens and young adults. The highest rate of drowning for all ages is among 15- to 19-year-olds. While drowning rates for most age groups have decreased, the rates have increased for teens ages 15-17 since 1995.

Where

• Most counties in Washington State reported at least one drowning among teens and young adults in the past five years.
• The majority of drowning among teens and young adults occurred in lakes and rivers.
• Most drownings occur while teens and young adults are swimming, wading or when they jump or fall out of small boats. Of drowning deaths among Washington state 15-17 year olds between 1999-2001, 40% were swimming, 16% were boating and 16% were wading in the water. Most of the victims were with a friend or family member.

Why

• Life jackets are not being worn. Surveys in our state show that only 13% of adolescents and adults wear a life jacket while in a small boat.
• Young people may not be aware of risks and safety measures in lakes and rivers.
• A swimmer’s strength is overpowered by water conditions (i.e., current, cold water, depth, and objects in water).
• Teens and young adults may have inadequate skills to judge water conditions and/or their swimming or boating ability.
• Sometimes alcohol or drugs are being used while swimming or boating.

Prevention Strategies

• Know the water.
  Take into consideration the water conditions and the availability of life jackets before going out on the water. Cold water, river currents and riptides are a danger, even in summer.
• Know your limits.
  Know the situations that pose a risk for drowning: being in small boats without wearing a life jacket, swimming in cold water or away from shore in a lake or river, and swimming, wading or boating when rivers are running high from snowmelt or heavy rain.
  Learn to swim well and test swimming skills in safe open water areas.
• Wear a life jacket.
  Wear life jackets in boats, especially in small boats. You can also use life jackets when swimming in unsupervised, cold or fast moving water.
  

*Note: Automobile crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury death in this age range.

Sources: Seattle Children's and Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics and Child Death Review Program.