Opinion: With the drowning rate increasing, a bigger toolbox is needed

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced the unwelcome news that the drowning rate in America has been increasing for the first time in decades. From 2020 to 2022, 500 more people drowned each year than in 2019. No doubt, COVID-19 had much to do with the significant increase in drownings. Swimming pools closed so swimming lessons and other valuable programs were not available. Lifeguards working at pools found other employment and when the pools reopened, many did not return to lifeguarding. In addition, with swimming pools closed, those interested in swimming found other options like unguarded lakes, streams and oceans where most of the drownings occur.

Statistically speaking, the CDC states that the most vulnerable to drowning deaths are now young children, particularly under the age of 5, senior citizens above the age of 65, and Black people. Pool parties and rip currents also produce a significant number of drownings.

For decades, the two cornerstones of drowning prevention have been swimming lessons early and often, and close, active, qualified supervision. While these two tenants are still extremely valuable, we need to do more to prevent drowning, which is quick, quiet, and subtle and extremely difficult to detect . For the past 25 years, our Aquatic Safety Research Group, LLC (ASRG) has been evaluating additional drowning prevention strategies and our research has led to additional unique and effective methods. Just as it “takes a village” to raise a child, it likewise takes a village to prevent drowning. Swimming lessons are vitally important, but it takes time for children to become water competent and confident. Likewise, because it is so difficult for lifeguards, parents and caregivers to observe, detect and recognize drowning, more help is needed.

Additional strategies promoted by ASRG are properly fitting United States Coast Guard approved lifejackets for weak and non-swimmers in all bodies of water including swimming pools ( NoteandFloatLifeJackets.org ). In addition to lifejackets, the combination of video cameras and computers to produce drowning detection systems has proven to be more vigilant than lifeguards, parents and caregivers.

In 2024, ASRG released two new tools that should help supervisors to detect distress in the water before it quickly turns into a drowning. The first is a app that offers lifeguards, parents and caregivers the opportunity to practice drowning detection and recognition ( DrTomsLifeguardVision.com ). This is the first app of its kind worldwide. The app provides two lifelike scenes: an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. Drownings based on real scenarios are simulated in the swimming pool environments and players practice detecting the drowning victims. The app especially raises awareness about how difficult it can be to detect drowning, by allowing lifeguards, parents/caregivers, and any other player to see the drowning scenarios first-hand, at their fingertips. The app is designed to give aquatic supervisors practice in recognizing drowning. Todd Roth, aquatic supervisor for Centre Region Park and Recreation, now has his lifeguards using the app to improve their vigilance. The app is available now in the Google Play and Apple stores.

Aquatic Safety Research Group has also recently released “Dr. Tom’s Lifeguard Chronicles,” which is a memoir full of life lessons and unique water safety strategies to prevent accidents around the water including drownings. The book is not only great for those hoping to become lifeguards but others who enjoy water watersports.

Now that we are in the heart of the summer, it would be wise to explore additional options to prevent drowning. We all need more tools in our water safety tool box.

Tom Griffiths is the president and founder of Aquatic Safety Research Group. He spent 38 years teaching, coaching and managing aquatics at three major universities, including Penn State. Rachel Griffiths is the director of research and education for Aquatic Safety Research Group and president of Note and Float Life Jacket Fund, which donates life jackets to aquatic facilities to implement the Note & Float program.