Child Accidental Drowning 2005
Child Accidental Drowning 2005 (
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This fact sheet draws together statistics relating to child water-related fatalities in the UK for 2005 in the form of tables and graphs, taken from RoSPA drowning statistics.
Background
435 people accidentally drowned in the UK in 2005. 234 of these occurred in inland waters. The majority of victims fell into water and were unable to help themselves. 31 people were swimming and 24 intentionally got into the water for other reasons, including activities such as rescuing others, jumping, diving, swimming, paddle or play.
Of these 435 accidental drownings, 39 were children (ages 0-14).
Activity
Child Accidental Drowning by Activity
| Activity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Non Intentional Immersion | 40% |
| Swim | 26% |
| Intentional Immersion | 13% |
| In Vehicle | 13% |
| Sailing | 5% |
| Rowing | 3% |
Almost 40% of children that drowned were in the water swimming or playing; another 40% fell in or were swept away. These children were either unaware of the risk of being in or near the water, or did not have the skills to save themselves.
Gender Split
| Gender | Fatalities |
Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 27 |
69% |
| Female | 12 |
31% |
| Total | 39 |
100% |
Location
A third of child accidental drowning fatalities occur in or near the home, in garden ponds or other areas of gathered water in the back garden, and in the bath. These are predominantly children aged between 0-6. In a typical scenario the young child escapes supervision or the adult leaves them on their own just for a moment. Young children must be constantly supervised, and adults should make themselves aware of the risks of the water, taking steps to reduce or eliminate them.
Child accidental drowning by location
| Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Inland | 38% |
| Residential | 33% |
| Coastal | 18% |
| Pool | 8% |
| Sea | 3% |
Children aged 6-14 are more likely to drown away from home, at rivers and beaches – these locations account for more than half of child drowning. It is necessary that older children, who will not be supervised, are fully aware of the water safety message, and have good water survival skills.
Child accidental drownings: Residential locations
| Residential Location | Fatalities |
Percentage of all child accidental drowning |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | 6 |
15% |
| Pond/Tank | 5 |
13% |
| Swimming Pool | 2 |
5% |
| Total | 13 |
33% |
Location by Age
| Age | Canal |
Home* |
Lake |
Pool (non-residential) |
River |
Sea |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2 |
2 |
|||||
| 1 | 5 |
5 |
|||||
| 2 | 3 |
1 |
4 |
||||
| 3 | 1 |
2 |
3 |
||||
| 4 | 1 |
1 |
|||||
| 5 | 1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
| 6 | 1 |
1 |
|||||
| 7 | 2 |
1 |
3 |
||||
| 8 | 1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
| 9 | 1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
| 10 | 1 |
1 |
|||||
| 11 | 1 |
1 |
|||||
| 12 | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
||
| 13 | 1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
| 14 | 4 |
1 |
5 |
||||
| Total | 2 |
13 |
2 |
3 |
12 |
8 |
39 |
*Home includes home swimming or paddling pool
Points to Note
- 30% of these fatalities are non-intentional, where the victim fell into water.
- Almost 70% are male fatalities.
- There is almost an even split between fatalities occurring at home as at a river.
- Residential fatalities are predominantly children aged between 0-2, while older children mainly drown in rivers or the sea.
- 15% of child drowning fatalities occur while children are bathing – often due to the caregiver leaving the child unsupervised for only a short moment. It also shows the lack of safety provided by bath seat, and a possible misconception about this.
- 39 of 40 child water-related fatalities are accidental drowning. The remaining fatality was a homicide.
Further Resources
Water Safety for Children and Young People
February 2008
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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