KNOXVILLE – A drowning can happen in seconds and is often silent. In fact, more children ages one to four die from downing than any other cause of death nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are over 4,000 unintentional drownings – or roughly 11 a day – annually, mostly in swimming pools, the CDC notes. And, almost 90 percent of the time, the child is under some form of supervision.

Here in East Tennessee, drowning is the leading cause of death sent to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for children ages one to four – with 20 cases during the seven-year span of 2019 to 2025. (Motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause sent to the RFC with 14 cases.)

“Losing a child is traumatic,” said Chris Thomas, director and chief administrative officer of the Knox County RFC. “Losing a child to a completely preventable situation is devastating and all we want to do is continue to raise awareness in the hope that someone will read this, change a habit and save a life.”

As swimming season nears and families take to the warm weather and begin vacation plans, officials note that May is National Water Safety Month, an annual campaign dedicated to educating the public about drowning prevention and water safety. The national recognition is led by a coalition that includes the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, American Red Cross, National Recreation and Park Association, and World Waterpark Association. The goal is to increase awareness about vital water safety practices through public service announcements, governmental proclamations, and easy-to-access water safety materials.

“We know that when water safety and drowning prevention organizations work together with a shared vision of increasing water safety awareness and sharing educational resources, we can multiply our impact—saving more lives and preventing more drownings,” said Alissa Magrum, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, in a media release. “Drowning impacts people of all ages and occurs in all kinds of water. The good news is that drowning is preventable and when we work together, we can save lives.”

Dr. Corinne Tandy, division director of Epidemiology for the Knox County Health Department, noted that swimming lessons are available at private and non-profit centers in the area, including the YMCA, the City of Knoxville, and many private organizations.

"Drowning is a leading cause of death for children and is preventable,” Tandy said. “As the weather warms up, keep these prevention tips in mind: Teach children how to swim; supervise children closely and constantly when they are in or near water; and always provide children with properly fitted life jackets.”

Thomas Cochran, co-owner of All Knox Swim, agreed.

“The No. 1 tip I can give you is to never let your guard down,” said Cochran, whose business also volunteers at the local Emerald Youth Aquatics. “I do believe if we could do one thing for each age range, we could reduce the drowning statistics dramatically. For those ages one to four, please put a pool fence around your pool that cuts off access directly to the house and for those ages four to 17, please wear a lifejacket in natural bodies of water – no matter what."

More information is available at www.NationalWaterSafetyMonth.org and a water safety season tool kit can be found here.