Immersion Incidents & Drowning Deaths in Orange County
Drowning consistently remains the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years of age, and among the top five leading causes for those under the age of 18 years, both in California and in Orange County. This report utilizes 2011 through 2013 emergency department (ED) and hospital patient discharge (PD) data, as well as death certificate information for County residents who drowned during the same time period.
The goal of this report is to better guide prevention efforts aimed at reducing the number of immersion incidents and drowning deaths in Orange County.
May 2015 Report
May 2015 Factsheet
2009 Report
The effects of an immersion incident occur quickly and can be catastrophic, especially to young children who lose consciousness within two minutes and can experience irreversible brain damage within four minutes. Drowning consistently remains the leading cause of death among children 1-4 years of age and among the top five leading causes for those under the age of 18, both in California and Orange County. The focus of this report was to both illustrate the magnitude and severity of immersion incidents and drowning in Orange County. These findings may be used to raise awareness and help guide educational efforts aimed at reducing the occurrence of a preventable tragedy.
Also see
"Water Safety" website by the Orange County Fire Authority
