As the weather gets nicer, keep in mind that we lose around a thousand kids in the U.S. to drowning incidents each year. Another 7,000 end up in the ER. So here's some info to help keep YOUR kids safe.
A group called Safe Kids Worldwide released a report this month that looked at different risk factors.
Here are three big stats from it . . .
1. OPEN water is the most dangerous. That means oceans, lakes, and rivers.
43% of childhood drownings happen there.
38% happen in swimming pools.
9% happen in bathtubs.
The remaining 10% of drownings were unspecified.
2. Keep an eye on teenagers at the beach, not just young kids.
49% of open water drownings involve kids between 15 and 19 years old.
15% involve 10-to-14-year-olds.
13% involve kids between 5 and 9.
And 23% involve kids under the age of 5.
3. Boys are more likely to get into trouble in the water. 80% of open water fatalities involve boys, and just 20% involve girls.
A few things to watch out for at the beach include dangerous currents . . . sudden drop-offs, where the water gets deeper . . . and things like rocks, or vegetation they could get tangled in.
The good news is drowning deaths are down over the last 10 or 20 years. From almost 1,400 a year in 2000, to about 1,000 in 2016.