"One is one too many": Experts warn of drowning risks as summer swim season begins
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. – Health and safety experts are asking swimmers to be as safe as possible as a busy outdoor season draws Minnesotans to lakes, rivers and pools.
Between 2019-2022, Minnesota averaged close to 40 drowning deaths statewide per year.
"One is just one too many, and they're just super tragic," said Julie Philbrook RN, a Trauma Prevention Specialist at Hennepin Health. "We love our water, and we have a limited time that we can be out in it. We want to enjoy it."
Philbrook says accidental drowning is the leading cause of injury death for kids between the age of 1 and 4.
"Just because a child can swim and put their face underwater does not mean they'll know what to do if they'll start having difficulty in the water," she said.
In 2021, Minnesota made headlines as five children drowned by June 14. Philbrook says an early start to the swimming season could potentially contribute to higher annual numbers in 2023.
She urges any adult swimming with children to be aware – keeping their eyes and ears open. Most times, she says, children drown silently.
In addition, life jackets are loaned for free at eight different boat launches throughout the county.