Water Safety Starts With Confidence

Understanding the Importance of Water Safety

Water is part of everyday life — across seasons, settings, and ages. Because it shows up in so many familiar moments, understanding water safety matters for everyone, especially young children. The information below provides important context around water safety and why building comfort, confidence, and awareness in the water is so important over time.

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  Drowning is a leading cause of death for children ages 1–4, who are at the highest risk.

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  While risk varies by age, no one is completely immune — even adults and experienced swimmers can encounter difficulty in the water.

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  Drowning is often silent and can happen quickly, sometimes without obvious signs.

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  In some situations, drowning can occur in less than 60 seconds if it goes unnoticed.

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  Only a small amount of water is needed for a drowning incident to occur, less than 2 inches (6 centimeters) of water.

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  For every fatal drowning, 5 non-fatal drowning incidents result in emergency or hospital-related care.

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  Formal swim instruction, combined with multiple layers of water safety, plays an important role in reducing risk.