Credit to ABC News/Aryana Azari
July 5, 2021 6:33 pm
Child drownings are on the rise, according to a new report, and experts warn that the pandemic has also put kids at an increased drowning risk this year.
“It was really hard for people to access swimming lessons last year,” Dr. Ben Hoffman, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, told “Good Morning America.” “And from what I understand this year, it still remains challenging, because things have booked up pretty early.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently found an increase in pool- or spa-related fatal drowning incidents among children under age 15. There were a total of 404 fatalities in 2018, compared to 395 in 2017 and 392 in 2016.