Drowning is leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, CDC says

Drowning deaths jumped for the first time in decades after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis found. More than 4,500 people fatally drowned each year between 2020 and 2022, the agency says.

The study, published in the agency’s Vital Signs report, found a sharp rise in pre-pandemic drowning rates, especially among young children and those with American Indian/Alaska Native and Black/African American ancestry.