Non-Fatal Drownings

Non-fatal drowning is a drowning incident where a person survives after experiencing respiratory impairment from being submerged or immersed in liquid. 

For every fatal drowning, there are approximately 3 non-fatal incidents;

• Children (0-4 years) have the highest fatal to non-fatal ratio, with 8 non-fatal incidents for every 1 fatal drowning. They are at the highest risk of non-fatal drowning in swimming pools.
• Teenagers and Adults are more likely to experience non-fatal drowning in natural water bodies. They are at the highest risk of non-fatal drowning in rivers, lakes, and beaches.

Long-Term Impacts: Non-fatal drownings can lead to significant longterm health issues, including hypoxic brain injury impacting an individual's quality of life.