Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four, according to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report.

An average of 376 children under the age of 15 fatally drowned in pool- or spa-related incidents each year from 2021 to 2023. Nearly 80 percent of those victims were under the age of five.

Fatal drownings are consistently the highest during the summer months (June, July and August).

CPSC’s latest data shows that for children in the U.S. younger than 15 years of age the number of fatal drownings in 2023 was 379, a six percent increase from the 359 fatal drownings reported in the previous year.

Between 2021 and 2023, over 70 percent of fatal drownings occurred in residential settings, such as the victim’s home, the house of a family member/friend/acquaintance, or a neighbor’s residence

Between 2023 and 2025, there was an average of 5,900 estimated pool- or spa-related, hospital emergency department (ED)-treated, nonfatal drowning injuries each year.

“Drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages one through four, and this year’s report makes clear that these tragedies continue to take an unacceptable toll on American families,” said Acting CPSC Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “As we enter the summer swimming season, parents and caregivers should remain vigilant around water and never leave children unattended. At the same time, the Commission is taking a fresh look at how we can more effectively reduce childhood drowning through the full range of authorities and resources entrusted to it by Congress.”

The CPSC convened a National Roundtable on Childhood Drowning Prevention bringing experts together from across the drowning prevention community to identify evidence-based strategies for reducing childhood drowning and strengthening the Commission’s future activities.

Participants included former CPSC Commissioner Doug Dziak, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), representatives from the YMCA, Airbnb, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, Abbey’s Hope, the International Code Council, the ZAC Foundation, safety expert Alan Korn, and independent researcher Carol Pollack-Nelson.

“Childhood drowning demands renewed attention, fresh thinking, and an unwavering commitment to results. We heard valuable ideas about engineering solutions, public education, product safety, partnerships, voluntary standards, and emerging technologies. We also identified important gaps that deserve continued attention,” said Feldman.

Throughout the discussion, participants emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration across government, industry, nonprofits, and standards organizations. Topics included engineering controls, public education, data-driven messaging, and opportunities to better engage pediatricians in communicating water safety and drowning prevention to families.