This summer in the Twin Cities, pediatric emergency rooms are seeing a pattern no one wants: more kids pulled from the water, sometimes without a sound, and often in those split seconds when adults thought everything was fine. A recent FOX 9 segment spotlighted the rise in child drownings and amplified local experts' warnings about constant supervision, swim lessons and backyard pool safety.
National numbers show a worrying uptick
The trend is not just a Twin Cities problem. Nationally, child drowning deaths rose from about 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Federal regulators have flagged the same shift. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission documented 379 fatal child drownings in 2023, roughly a 6% increase over 2022, and found that more than 70% of pool and spa deaths involving children between 2021 and 2023 happened at private homes. Officials say the summer months remain the deadliest stretch of the year.
Why experts say it is happening
Health organizations point to a tangle of familiar factors: pandemic disruptions that stalled swim lessons and routine supervision, a boom in backyard and above-ground pools, and ongoing gaps in access to affordable instruction and safe public swim spaces, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Centers for Disease Control notes that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1 to 4, and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance estimates that roughly 88% of child drownings happen while at least one adult is present. In other words, being nearby is not the same thing as watching closely.
Local context: Minnesota's risks and responses
In Minnesota, where lakes, rivers and backyard pools are a summer routine rather than a luxury, cities and nonprofits have been trying to close the safety gap. Saint Paul has expanded lesson offerings and outreach to families at higher risk, according to City of Saint Paul Parks & Recreation. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources continues to press families on life jacket use and boating safety for kids, while local nonprofit Abbey's Hope runs outreach campaigns and "Water Watcher" trainings that focus on preventing backyard pool emergencies before they unfold.
What safety experts recommend
Safety officials describe drowning prevention as a "layers of protection" problem, not a single fix. They urge caregivers to designate one undistracted adult as the water watcher, to install at least four-foot fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates, and to lock or remove ladders on above-ground pools when they are not in use. Enrolling children in quality swim lessons once they are developmentally ready is also a core recommendation, guidance that is echoed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Experts say caregivers should also learn pediatric CPR and check for recalls on pool gear and removable ladders as the calendar fills up with family gatherings.
The fixes are not flashy, but they work. Active supervision, physical barriers and basic training can sharply cut the odds of a tragedy in the Twin Cities or anywhere else. For local stories and extended interviews with clinicians and water safety advocates, viewers can watch the recent segment from FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
