Statistics

Each year over 1,000 children (about 250 under the age of 5) die in swimming related accidents and over 5,000 others are hospitalized. Additionally, spas and whirlpools kill over 200 children each year.

In 2002, an estimated 1,600 children were treated in hospital emergency rooms for water related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Many of these deaths and injuries occurred in backyard pools.

Swimming accidents also happen to adults. Many adults suffer severe injuries when they combine alcohol and swimming. Furthermore, severe spinal cord injuries result from diving into water that is too shallow.

Additional Alarming Statistics:

• Children under the age of 1 are most likely to drown in bathtubs, buckets, or toilets.
• Children ages 1 to 4 years, are most likely to drown in residential swimming pools. (Most young children who drown in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time.)
• Alcohol use and swimming is involved in almost 50% of all adolescent and adult deaths. Alcohol influences balance, coordination, and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.
• Approximately 70% of all boating fatalities are due to drowning. Alcohol is involved in about 1/3 of all reported boating fatalities.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a swimming accident, call us now at 1-800-483-2050 or contact us by clicking on Rochester \ Buffalo Swimming Injury Attorney .

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