Safety & First Aid Drownings and Near-Drowning Accidents Water Safety Tips By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on February 03, 2020 Print Joe Polillio / Getty Images Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in all age groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 children die each day by drowning and only birth defects kill more children ages 1 to 4 years. Although parents usually picture pools when they think about drowning, it is important to keep in mind that kids can drown in almost any body of water, from a bucket of water to a fishing pond. Should You Teach Your Baby Survival Swimming Skills? Common accident sites for drownings include: Backyard pools, including above-ground and inflatable poolsCommunity poolsA full or partially filled bathtubHot tubsLakesStreams Of course, kids are also at big risk for drowning in the ocean, especially around rip currents. Drowning Statistics Drowning is common. It is estimated that 10 people drown every day. Three children drown each day. And for every drowning, another five children are rescued but may still have severe injuries. It's important to keep water safety in mind at all times, especially if you have a pool, hot tub or pond near your home. In addition to teaching your kids to swim and child-proofing your pool, be sure to supervise your kids when they are around water. Don't let your guard down just because your child knows how to swim or because there are other people around, such as at a pool party or at a community pool, even when a lifeguard is present. Also, if your child is ever missing, look for him in your pool, hot tub or other nearby body of water first, as every second counts when rescuing a drowning child. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning Prevention. Updated February 6, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unintentional Drowning: Get the Facts. Updated April 28 2016.