PHOENIX — Safety officials are urging caution following a string of drownings in the Valley.
Last weekend, officials responded to numerous drownings, involving both adults and children. Those include a 2-year-old girl who died Sunday after being pulled from a backyard pool in Phoenix and a 4-year-old who died after an incident at a Phoenix hotel pool.
As of May 8, the Valley has seen five drownings involving children so far in 2023, according to media-reported data. This outpaces the number of deadly water incidents in the same time frame in recent years.
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To view the drownings and near-drownings from previous years in the map above, open the map's menu and toggle the layers.
- In 2022, there were four drownings involving children by the start of the month of May.
- In 2021, there was one drowning by the start of May. By mid-May, three additional drownings had occurred.
- In 2020, there were two child drownings, followed by a third in the second week of May.
- In 2019, there were two drownings involving children by the start of May.
Nine media-reported near-drownings involving children in the Valley have also occurred thus far in 2023.
According to the non-profit organization National Drowning Prevention Alliance, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and a majority of childhood drownings occur during non-swim times.
The group stresses ‘The Five Layers of Protection’ which include: barriers and alarms, supervision, water competency, life jackets, and emergency preparation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges the following actions to help reduce the risk of drowning:
- Learn basic swimming and water safety skills
- Build fences that fully enclose pools
- Supervise closely
- Wear a life jacket and do not rely on air-filled or foam toys
- Learn CPR
- Avoid alcohol
- Use the buddy system
- Know the risks of natural waters
- Consider impacts of medications and take precautions for medical conditions that may put you more at risk
- Don’t hold your breath for a long time or hyperventilate
