WASHINGTON — Federal safety officials are warning families to stay alert around pools, spas and other water hazards this summer after a new report found childhood drowning remains a persistent and deadly danger.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. The agency’s latest report found an average of 376 children under age 15 fatally drowned each year in pool- or spa-related incidents from 2021 through 2023.
Nearly 80% of those victims were younger than 5.
The danger is especially high during the summer months of June, July and August, when families are more likely to be around pools, lakes, spas and other water recreation areas.
The CPSC said fatal child drownings increased in 2023, with 379 deaths reported among children younger than 15. That was up from 359 the previous year.
The report also found that more than 70% of fatal drownings from 2021 through 2023 happened in residential settings. Those include the child’s own home, the home of a family member, friend or acquaintance, or a neighbor’s residence.
Nonfatal drowning injuries are also a serious concern. From 2023 through 2025, the CPSC estimated an average of 5,900 pool- or spa-related drowning injuries treated in hospital emergency departments each year among children younger than 15.
“Drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages one through four, and this year’s report makes clear that these tragedies continue to take an unacceptable toll on American families,” Acting CPSC Chairman Peter A. Feldman said.
The agency is urging parents and caregivers to treat water safety as a constant responsibility, not something that can be handled casually or from a distance.
The most important step is active adult supervision. Children should never be left unattended in or near water, even for a moment. The CPSC recommends designating an adult “Water Watcher” whenever children are swimming or playing near water.
That person should not be texting, reading, using a phone, drinking alcohol or doing anything else that could create a distraction.
The warning applies not only to pools and spas, but also to bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds, fountains and other places where young children can get into water quickly and quietly.
Families with pools or spas should use multiple layers of protection. That can include fencing, self-closing and self-latching gates, door alarms, pool covers and locked or inaccessible pool ladders when the pool is not being used.
The CPSC also recently announced the recall of about five million above-ground pools after multiple child drowning deaths were associated with compression straps that could create a foothold for children to climb into the pool. Families are urged to check whether their pool or pool equipment has been recalled.
Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to learn CPR, teach children how to swim and keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings. Pool and spa owners should make sure drain covers comply with federal safety standards.
Federal officials also said the CPSC will convene a National Roundtable on Childhood Drowning Prevention later this month to bring together experts and identify stronger prevention strategies.
For families, the message is simple: drowning can happen quickly, quietly and close to home. Constant supervision, barriers and basic water-safety planning can save a child’s life.