Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control highlight an alarming trend. 75% of all accidental drowning accidents in New York City involve children four years old or younger. The vast majority of those children drown in home swimming pools. (Older children and adults are more likely to drown in natural water settings such as lakes and rivers.) The new data was collected from hospital visits and emergency calls across the country and collated in a special report entitled “Unintentional Drowning: Get the Facts.”
There are a number of risk factors that increase your child’s chance of drowning in New York City swimming pools. These include:
- Lack of ability (formal swimming lesson an dramatically reduce the risk)
- Lack of barriers (fences around pools can decrease risk by 83%)
- Failure to wear life preservers/life jackets
- Lack of supervision
Drowning in New York City can happen in seconds. All it takes is a momentary lapse in attention for a young one to slip below the surface. Indeed, the CDC report shows that caregiver or lifeguard inattention/negligence is responsible for nearly 80% of all swimming pool related deaths.
But there are a number of things you can do to reduce your child’s risk. The CDC recommends that all parents, caregivers, and–of course–live savers (lifeguards, etc.) learn CPR. Also, teaching young children how to swim dramatically decreases the risk of accidental drowning (but does not eliminate it all together).
Remember that drowning is not always a fatal accident. Previous statistics show that each year there are roughly 4,000 nonfatal drowning incidents across the country (slightly higher than the total rate of non-boating related fatal drowning). Nonfatal accidents involve submergence for extended periods of time, lack of oxygen to the brain and other vital organs, and can cause brain damage, nerve damage, and increase an individual’s chance of developing various other chronic illnesses.
If you or a loved one has been injured at a private or public pool in NYC, contact a New York City Drowning accident attorney immediately to discuss your case. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.