Fast Facts on Water Safety

  • No child is ever water safe. The goal of swim lessons is to make children SAFER in, on, and around water.​
  • 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability.
  • Research shows 64% of African-American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children have little to no swimming ability.
  • 11 people drown each day in the United States. 
  • Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death (after motor vehicle crashes) for children ages 5-14, according to the CDC.
  • Black children face significantly higher fatal drowning rates than white children of the same age: 2.6 times higher for ages 5-9 and 3.6 times higher for ages 10-14, according to the CDC.
  • Formal swimming lessons reduces the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.