Drowning

Office of Health Promotion and Prevention

Drowning

Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion in a liquid. When a person’s nose and mouth are covered by water, the lack of oxygen leads to suffocation, which can cause unconsciousness, brain damage, or death.

Drowning progresses in six distinct stages:

  • Struggling to keep the airway clear.
  • Submersion and breath-holding.
  • Aspiration of water.
  • Unconsciousness.
  • Cardio-respiratory arrest.
  • Death.
It is critical to understand that drowning often happens quietly and much faster than many people anticipate. If someone is submerged and unable to breathe, they can lose consciousness very quickly. Without immediate intervention and the administration of CPR by trained individuals or emergency responders, the lack of oxygen leads to irreversible organ damage and can become fatal within a very short period of time.

Utah drownings

  • Utah averages 38 drownings per year. That is about 1 drowning deaths every 10 days.
  • Children aged 0–18 years old make up 25% of all Utah drowning deaths.
  • Of Utah children who drown, 51% are ages 1–4 years old.
Learn more about Utah drownings

Drowning

  • 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings happen each year in the U.S. That is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.
  • 8,000 nonfatal drownings happen each year in the U.S. That is an average or 22 nonfatal drownings per day.
  • More children ages 1–4 years old die in the U.S. from drowning than any other cause of death.
  • For children ages 5–14 years old in the U.S., drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death after motor vehicle crashes.