Water Safety Strategy

Section 01

Unintentional fatal drowning counts and crude death rates per 100,000 California residents by sex, 2016 - 2021* (Data source: CDPH EpiCenter)(4)

Unintentional fatal drowning counts and crude death rates per 100,000 California residents by age group, 2016 - 2021 (Data source: CDPH EpiCenter) (4)

Non-fatal drowning comprises a major component of the overall drowning burden in California, and is an understudied and underreported component of the problem. An average of 1,253 emergency department visits and hospitalizations occur each year as a result of non-fatal drowning, which is three non-fatal drowning events for every fatality. For young children this number is much higher: For each four-year-old in California that dies from drowning, 16 additional four-year-olds are involved in a non-fatal drowning event. (4)

Non-fatal drowning events have significant, long term impacts on physical, emotional, and mental health, not only for the person who drowns but also their family, friends, rescuers, caretakers, and the broader community. While there are a range of outcomes, many who survive a drowning event experience permanent brain damage. In 2022, the California Department of Developmental Services reported that nearly 800 people required lifelong assistance for disabilities caused by non-fatal drowning. (6 )

Key Non-fatal Facts:

All unintentional drowning, 2016 -2021 (Data source: CDPH EpiCenter) (4)

1,668 Non-fatal Hospitalizations

2,559 Deaths

5,854 Non-fatal Emergency Department Visits

Average of 1,680 drowning events per year (includes fatal + non-fatal) (4)

10,081 TOTAL DROWNING INCIDENTS

2016 - 2021 For children 1-4 years, the rate of non-fatal drowning is
12 times the fatal drowning rate (4)

When fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents are combined, a total of 10,081 drowning events occurred in California in the years 2016 - 2021, representing a crude drowning rate of 4.24 drowning incidents per 100,000 California residents. Note that Emergency Department and Hospitalization are generally mutually exclusive categories, see the CDPH EpiCenter FAQ section for more information.