Children and adults drown without a sound. No one should ever swim alone.
Although 100% preventable, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children age 5 and under and among the top five leading causes of death for those ages 5-14 in the nation.
Drownings occur year-round in Orange County but increase during the summer months. Last year, in Orange County, there were 114 drowning incidents, with 48 becoming fatal. The most common reason children drown is a lapse in active adult supervision. Drowning is silent and can occur in as little as two inches of water and as quickly as 20 seconds. In addition, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that nearly 70% of children ages 0-4 that were found in the pool were not supposed to be in or near the pool.
The City of Irvine and the Orange County Fire Authority want to remind you to be vigilant when it comes to pool safety. Please view the Pool Safety Tips to keep you and your loved ones safe around the water. In addition, view the resources below for further guidance or visit ocfa.org/preventdrowning.
Orange County Fire Authority Resources:
The ABCs of Water Safety Flier
English Spanish Chinese Korean Vietnamese Farsi
ABCs of Water Safety Video
English Spanish Mandarin Korean Vietnamese
Water Safety Barriers Flier
English Spanish Chinese Korean Vietnamese Farsi