Shocking new data from the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) indicates that nearly nine out of ten drownings involving children could have been prevented. The report, released during Drowning Prevention Week, has intensified calls for urgent government action to save lives before the summer holidays.
Alarming Statistics
Approximately 33 children die from drowning each year in England—the equivalent of a classroom full of children. The RLSS UK report reveals stark disparities: Black children drown at more than three times the rate of white children, boys drown at twice the rate of girls, and children in the most deprived communities drown at twice the rate of those in the least deprived. Furthermore, 71% of children who drowned were known to social care at some point in their lives.
Preventable Tragedies
In 87% of cases reviewed by a Child Death Overview Panel, 'modifiable factors' were identified that could have prevented the child's death, including lack of adult supervision, unsafe environments, accessible water, and absence of safety measures. Pete Kennedy, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at RLSS UK, stated: "This report is a wake-up call to the Government. Drowning isn't just preventable, but it disproportionately harms disadvantaged and marginalised communities."
Government Urged to Act
Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Water Safety Education, described child drownings as a "public health emergency" that must be treated as such. The RLSS UK made five key recommendations to the Government:
- Change the Terms of Reference of the Public Health Water Taskforce to include drowning prevention.
- Apply a public health approach to reducing drowning risk, tackling health inequalities and environmental determinants.
- Consider drivers of elevated drowning risk among high-risk groups, including Black children, male children, children known to social care, and those in deprived communities.
- Accompany the ambition to increase public recreational use of open water with proportionate interventions to mitigate drowning risk.
- Appoint a Minister with responsibility for water safety and drowning prevention to lead a joined-up approach across government departments.
The report was produced in partnership with the National Child Mortality Database and includes data on all children aged 0-18 in England who drowned since 2020. The APPG will open with a keynote speech from RLSS UK Ambassador and triple Olympic swimming champion Tom Dean MBE, urging the Government to act.
