The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laid off staff from its drowning prevention program in 2025. Unintentional child drowning deaths in the U.S. increased from 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024.

Preliminary U.S. data for 2025 indicated that child drownings declined, but the number of deaths remained higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. child drowning death rate rose from 1.1 to 1.2 per 100,000 children. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and one of the top causes of death for children ages 5 to 14 in the U.S.

Unintentional child drowning deaths previously decreased, falling from approximately 2,000 per year in the 1980s to below 1,000 per year by the early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2019, U.S. health officials recorded a 38% reduction in these deaths. The recent increase primarily involved children younger than 5 years old. Most drownings of very young children occur in swimming pools.

Factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, which interrupted swimming lessons and lifeguard training programs, may have contributed to the recent rise. Some data suggests an increase in unsupervised swimming and an increase in swimming pool construction. Researcher Kym Roberts noted, "Drowning in young children is often associated with falls into water and lapses in direct supervision."

Dr. Rohit Shenoi, lead author of a recent American Academy of Pediatrics warning, emphasized the importance of immediate action. "When drowning occurs, seconds matter," Shenoi said. "Quick rescue and resuscitation can mean the difference between life, death and lifelong disability." Stew Leonard, chief executive of the Stew Leonard's grocery chain, whose son drowned at 21 months old in 1989, recommended direct supervision. "The only thing you can do to save their life is put them in swimming lessons," Leonard said. "This happens in the blink of an eye."

After his son's death, Leonard and his wife established a foundation that funds children's swimming lessons and promotes drowning prevention. The foundation has funded over 250,000 swimming lessons for children and opened two swimming schools. A CDC Foundation program has provided basic swimming and water safety skills training for more than 35,000 students since 2024, operating in 11 states.