As people flock to pool parties, sandy beaches and other water adventures to cool off this summer, experts say learning CPR and some water safety basics also should be at the top of the to-do list.
“In general, I’m an advocate for everyone getting CPR training,” said Dr. Katherine Berg, associate director at the Center for Resuscitation Science at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “But preventing drowning incidents is even more important than CPR training. Ideally, every kid should learn how to swim.”
After decades of decline, drowning rates in the U.S. are on the rise, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The climb began following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when people started spending more recreational time in the water with limited supervision. In 2022 – the latest year for which data is available – 4,509 people in the U.S. died from drowning, with the highest rates among the youngest and oldest members of the population. Drowning deaths rose 28% between 2019 and 2022 among children ages 1 to 4, who had the highest rate every year.
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CDC researchers also found males consistently had higher drowning rates than females, with the highest rates among American Indian, Alaska Native and Black people.
CPR is used to treat drowning because water blocking the airway can slow or stop the flow of oxygen to the brain, leading to cardiac arrest. When that happens, it’s necessary to open the airway and perform chest compressions with rescue breaths to maintain blood flow and restore oxygen to the brain, a potentially lifesaving technique that may also prevent organ damage.
“All parents or people taking care of children should learn CPR,” said Berg, who helped write the American Heart Association’s CPR guidelines in 2020. “Even children as young as 11 or 12 can perform effective CPR.”
Although good swimmers can still drown, not knowing how to swim is a major contributor to drowning deaths, experts say. Research shows formal swim lessons can reduce the risks, but many people never get them.
