LISTEN: Drowning deaths had been going down for years before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted safety protocols such as swim lessons and lifeguarding, says a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. GPB's Sofi Gratas reports.

A boy holding a kickboard swims in a swimming pool lane

A boy holding a kickboard swims in a swimming pool lane.

Credit: Pexels

Ahead of summertime recreation, health care leaders are encouraging safe swimming, following a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vital Signs that shows a rise in drowning deaths since 2020, especially among certain groups. 

Drowning deaths had been going down for years before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted safety protocols including swim lessons and lifeguarding, the CDC report said.

Drowning deaths then went back up between 2019 and 2022, and it wasn’t equal. Black Americans saw the highest increase in death rates nationally and rates were similarly high among American Indian and Alaska Natives. 

In Georgia, the drowning death rate during the study period was 1.3 per 100,000 people. For Black Georgians, it was 1.5. 

CDC researcher Tessa Clemens said there’s lots to consider, such as how historically, segregation limited access to public pools. 

“Racial and ethnic disparities in drowning rates are not new,” she said. “It is concerning that there are increases in drowning rates among some of these groups that were already at a desperately higher risk.” 

Just under 40% of Black people in the study reported knowing how to swim. 

Nationally, drowning is the leading cause of death for kids 1 to 4 years old. That trend is true in Georgia for white children, while homicide is the leading cause of death for Black children.

“It’s never too young to really have that exposure to water to get comfort with it,” CDC chief medical advisory Debra Houry said.

Tags: Swimming  drowning  Georgia  health  health