BETHESDA—For swimming pool owners, it’s critical to anticipate the unimaginable.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1-4, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

An average of 357 children under the age of 15 fatally drowned in pool- or spa-related incidents each year between 2020 and 2022. Approximately 6,300 children under the age of 15 were treated in hospital emergency departments for nonfatal drowning injuries annually between 2022 and 2024. Most incidents involved children under 5 years old, according to the latest CPSC annual drowning and submersion report.

CPSC launched its “Pool Safely: Simple Steps to Save Lives” campaign in 2010 to help reduce childhood drownings, submersion injuries and entrapment. Parents, caregivers and pool owners can take simple steps to make pools and spas safer.

A lack of adult supervision is a primary factor in many pool-related drowning incidents, with most victims found missing for only a few minutes, according to CPSC.

“The supervision of children is paramount because a child can drown quickly even in shallow water,” emphasized Kim Price, farm and field underwriting manager for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.

CPSC also urges pool owners to install and maintain effective barriers around pools and spas to prevent unauthorized access by young children. These include fences, gates, pool covers and door and pool alarms.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, all pool fences should completely surround the pool, be at least 4 feet high, have a self-closing and self-latching device that is out of children’s reach, open outward and away from the pool, and be constructed so that a child cannot get over, under or through the fence. Remove any structures, equipment or other objects that can be used to climb the fence.

In-ground pools insured through VFBMIC are required to have a fence at least 4 feet high with self-latching gates surrounding the entire pool’s immediate area. Insured above-ground pools without attached decking must have at least a 4-foot perimeter height with a removable ladder.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act requires that proper pool drain covers and secondary anti-entrapment systems be installed to prevent serious injury or death of pool and spa users.

Other life-saving steps include:

• Teach children basic water safety rules and swimming skills. Everyone should know what to do in case of an emergency.
  
  
• Learn CPR and other life-saving techniques. Be prepared to respond to a water emergency.
  
  
• Have appropriate safety equipment and resources readily available, like reaching or throwing aids. These should be kept on both sides of the pool, along with a first aid kit and a nearby phone with emergency numbers listed.
  
  
• Fence, securely cover or empty and put away portable pools, including inflatable models.
  
  
• Report any unsafe pool toys or products to CPSC to ensure they are not a hazard to children.

Visit poolsafely.gov for more life-saving tips.

Media: Contact CPSC Office of Communications at 301-504-7908.