Lifeguard Your Child: 6 Tips for Keeping Bathtime Safe in Every Season

One inch of water – that is all it takes for a child to drown. In 2025, Cook Children’s treated seven children who drowned in bathtubs, and one passed away.

Surfer Bethany Hamilton knows the pain of losing a loved one to a bathtub drowning. Fifteen months ago, Bethany’s three-year-old nephew died after drowning in a bathtub. According to the family’s donation page, the toddler was sick and soaking in a bathtub with six inches of water just 15 feet away from the kitchen and living room. The page stated, “He was found unconscious--which is baffling as he's the strongest child of his 5 siblings at that age and an amazing swimmer, even in the open ocean.”

Sophia Price, trauma injury prevention specialist at Cook Children’s, offers tips to follow at bathtime:

1. Always ensure an adult stays at the side of the tub, in reach of the child, as this is too big of a responsibility for siblings.
2. Avoid multi-tasking such as talking on the phone, washing clothes, preparing dinner or anything that will cause a distraction from bathing the child.
3. Always be prepared by making sure to gather all bathtub essentials such as towels, soap, lotion and toys prior to bathing the child, so that the child is not left alone in the tub.
4. If you must leave the bathroom during bathtime, wrap the child in a towel and take them with you. If there are other children in the house, be sure to secure the door to the bathroom.
5. When bathtime is finished, be sure to drain the tub of all water, and remove all toys.
6. Use safe proof items to secure the bathroom door to prevent children from accessing the bathroom without an adult.

Drowning is preventable, and we want to help your children stay safe. Learn more about how to keep your family safe during bath time with our Lifeguard Your Child campaign.