Take Away Points For All Ages:

A.   12,588 California residents died from drowning between 1991 and 2020.4.

B.    For every fatal drowning, there are three non-fatal drowning events.4

C.    Three males die from drowning for every female. 4

D.   48% of all drowning deaths occur in June, July, and August. 5

E.    12.5% of drowning deaths in California are intentional (Suicide or Homicide). 5

F.    Children aged 0-4 years and those 75 years and older have the highest fatal drowning rates, 2 per 100,000 residents for both age groups. 4

G.   The highest drowning rates are in Northern California and Sierra (2.1/100,000 Residents) and the San Joaquin Valley (1.6/100,000 Residents). 4

H.   Approximately 800 people currently require long term care in California for permanent disabilities caused by non-fatal drowning. 6

I.      One in every 100,000 Californians die from drowning annually. 4 (Crude drowning rate = 1.1/100,000 CA Residents.)

References

4. California Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence

Prevention Branch. (2022, December 15). EpiCenter:

California Injury Data Online. Retrieved Jan 18, 2023, from:

https://skylab4.cdph.ca.gov/epicenter

Legacy version for pre-2016 data: epicenter.cdph.ca.gov

5. Data from the California Comprehensive Master Death File

as part of the ongoing research project titled “California

Drowning Study”; California Department of Public Health

under Order Number 21-03-0139; California Committee for

the Protection of Human Subjects Project Number 2021-077.

6. Governor’s Letter on Drowning Prevention - 2022. Office of

the Governor, Sacramento. From: https://www.dds.ca.gov/

initiatives/drowning-prevention/