17 Drownings Treated at Cook Children's in 2022, Including 3 Fatalities

Cook Children's has treated 17 drownings so far in 2022 through April 13, three of which were fatal.

This is an alarming increase compared to January through May 1 in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017, according to Cook Children's data.

This year, 11 drownings have occurred in swimming pools, one occurred in a hot tub, and five drownings were in bathtubs. Children ranged in age from 11 months old to 9 years old.

While most patients survived these incidents, drowning injuries can result in severe effects.

Many of the drownings in 2022 happened during unplanned swim time. This is when parents didn’t expect their child to be in or around the water. 

Parents can put barriers in place to help prevent a child from accessing the water or make it more difficult to access when an adult is not present. Barriers – such as locks, alarms and fencing – can help keep unsupervised young children from getting into swimming pools.

In 2021, more than 60% of drownings treated at Cook Children's were during unplanned swimming time.

Lifeguard Your Child

Cook Children’s initiated a drowning prevention campaign called Lifeguard Your Child in 2015 in response to a high number of drowning injuries treated in the Emergency Department and medical center that year. The Lifeguard Your Child campaign is spread through the Safe Kids North Texas Coalition, which is based in Fort Worth and led by Cook Children’s.

The campaign’s strategies include Cook Children’s Loaner Life Jacket Stations at many lake entry points across the region. Families can go to the stations to find U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets in a variety of sizes with easy tips for a proper fit.

Safety tips for home swimming pools: 
• Restrict access by installing door locks high out of children’s reach. Door and window alarms can signal if someone leaves the house. 
• Install four-sided fencing around pools with a self-latching gate that only opens out. The fence should be at least 4 feet (preferably 5 feet) high. 
• Remove all toys and floats from the pool area so children are not tempted to get close to the water. 
• For above-ground pools, make sure the ladder is removed and not accessible when it’s not swimming time. 
• Consider a pool surface alarm to alert if anyone/anything falls into the water. 

Safety tips for the bathtub: 
• An adult must stay at the side of the tub in reach of the child. 
• Pay attention. This is not the time for multitasking. 
• Ignore distractions like the doorbell or phone calls. 
• Drain the tub after each use. 
For more information about drowning prevention, go to www.lifeguardyourchild.org.