SAN DIEGO — May is Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Month at the same time as new statistics show drownings are on the rise.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of accidental drownings stayed pretty constant in the 2010s, with roughly 4,000 per year.
But in this decade, that number has risen by five or six hundred each year.
The most dramatic rises have been seen among pre-school aged children, where drowning rates jumped 30% a couple years ago.
It's risen about the same among Black people, who have much higher rates of adults who can't swim.
About one in three black adults say they can't swim, as opposed to one in seven in the general population.
About 15% of U.S. adults said they don't know how to swim.
The CDC says 64% of African American children, 45% of Hispanic/Latino children, and 40% of Caucasian children have little-to-no swimming ability, and 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability.
The City of San Diego has teamed up with San Diego Unified, as well as local organizations to ensure children have access to swim lessons and water safety education.
“This is San Diego. Every young person in this city should grow up knowing how to be safe and knowing how to swim and also knowing swimming can be a part of your life," said SDUSD Trustee Richard Barrera.
Currently, 1,000 students across 20 schools are taking part in a program allowing them free swim lessons at city rec centers.
The public can also access free water safety books and online classes through the Red Cross, as well as at city libraries.
In addition, the city has teamed up with the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego to raise awareness and providing water safety programs for those who have limited means and exposure.
The foundation's president, Ronan Gray, knows about the importance of water safety all too well after his daughter spent eight days in coma when she was left unattended in a neighbor's hot tub back in 2004.
“My daughter survived and it's hard for me to talk about this 20 years later and I can't imagine the pain other families who weren't as lucky as mine experienced,” said Gray.
Experts say aside from taking advantage of free lessons and education, always ensure an adult is watching when your child is near water, and make sure they're wearing a properly fitted life jacket.
"I didn't know nothing about swimming, didn't know nothing about water, was afraid to get in the water," said Vivian Stancil.
Stancil didn't learn to swim until she was 50. The 77-year-old woman, who is blind, went on to become an Olympic swimmer in the senior national games.
She now runs a foundation in Riverside teaching kids how to swim.
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