Summer fun and good times on the water are right around the corner. Florida water activities can be a blast to enjoy during warm weather, but it is vital to use safety precautions when engaging activities involving water. Each year a staggering number of people lose their lives due to tragic water-related accidents.
According to the CDC, approximately 10 people per day die from unintentional drowning. Two out of ten of these victims are under the age of 14. Between 2005 and 2009, 3,553 unintentional drownings occurred in the United States. This number does not include deaths resulting from boating accidents, recorded as 347 deaths per year.
Below are more water accident facts:
- Globally, the highest drowning rate occurs in children ages 1 to 4 and is often associated with lack of supervision.
- The next highest drowning rate occurs with children ages 5 to 9.
- Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death in the United States among children.
- Male children have twice the drowning rate of female children.
- The majority of infant deaths occur in bathtubs or large buckets filled with water.
- Two-thirds of all drowning deaths occur between May and August and mostly on weekends.
- More than half of the victims of recreational boating accidents were not wearing life vests at the time of the incident.
Water Accident Prevention
Children are not the only victims in water accidents. Many adults have also lost their lives in these devastating accidents. In order to avoid the risks of water-related accidents, follow the practices below:
- Never drink alcohol while boating and swimming.
- Always supervise children in and near water.
- Require young children to wear a life vest at all times in and near water.
- Teach children water safety.
- Do not allow children to swim near drains or suction outlets.
If you or one of your loved ones has been involved in an accident that was no fault of your own, contact one of our expert Tampa personal injury attorneys at Lorenzo & Lorenzo for a free consultation.