June 21, 2025, 6:45 am | Read time: 10 minutes

Every year, children drown–often in just a few seconds and without a sound. The tragic truth: Many of these accidents happen right in front of the parents’ eyes. But those who know the dangers and are prepared can save their child.¹

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Why children don’t scream when drowning

The image of a screaming, wildly thrashing child while drowning is a myth. In reality, the process is silent and unnoticed. Toddlers who fall into water often end up face down–due to their not yet fully developed motor skills, they are unable to free themselves from this position.

Additionally, submersion can cause a spasm of the vocal cords. This reflex blocks breathing and prevents any sound. The child simply goes under–without anyone noticing.

Everyday danger: When a few centimeters of water are deadly

Particularly dangerous are bodies of water that seem harmless in everyday life: paddling pools, garden ponds, rain barrels, or even puddles. Just ten centimeters of water can be fatal. Children under five are especially at risk–and most accidents happen at home at this age.

For school-age children, swimming accidents occur more often in public pools–often due to insufficient swimming skills. Teenagers, on the other hand, are usually at risk in lakes or rivers–due to overconfidence or peer pressure.

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Children particularly at risk

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged zero to five. A common cause: lack of swimming ability. But even that doesn’t fully explain it–children are particularly vulnerable to water on several levels.

For one, water is especially attractive to children: light reflections, movements, or floating leaves spark curiosity–without them being aware of the associated dangers. Toddlers lack sufficient risk awareness. Even older children often can’t assess how deep a body of water is or whether they could stand in it.

The environment also plays a role

While the backyard pool may be well secured, an open rain barrel at the neighbor’s, an uncovered pond, or an unguarded stream access can be easily overlooked. Especially in unfamiliar surroundings, such as on vacation or outings, the risk increases.

Additionally, children often have a larger range of movement than adults believe. Even small children can move quickly, curiously, and purposefully–often unnoticed.

Statistics show how the risk changes with age:

• Children under five most often drown in their own backyard–in paddling pools, pools, or ponds, often unnoticed.
• Children aged five to nine are more likely to have accidents in public swimming pools–often due to lack of swimming skills, panic, or improper behavior in the water.
• Children aged ten to 14 are mainly at risk in lakes, rivers, or while ice skating–often due to overconfidence, peer pressure, or even alcohol consumption.²

This is why preventive measures are so important: Parents and caregivers must know the risks, recognize potential hazards–and consciously avoid them.

Learning to swim saves lives–but it’s not enough

Children who can swim are better protected–that’s undisputed. But even safe swimming never replaces the duty of supervision. The key is a combination of swimming ability, parental supervision, and water awareness.

Swimming not only promotes safety but also has many positive effects:

• strengthens muscles and endurance
• is easy on the joints
• promotes body coordination
• boosts self-confidence
• is fun and healthy

A structured swimming education is recommended from about five years old. Before that, children can be prepared through playful water familiarization–such as blowing bubbles, diving, “starfish” floating, or opening their eyes underwater.³

How children learn to swim safely

It’s important: Swimming is more than splashing around. A child can be considered a safe swimmer if they:

• swim for at least 15 minutes without assistance,
• can dive safely and retrieve an object from two meters deep,
• jump into the water from one meter high and continue swimming.

This corresponds to the bronze badge. The beginner badge only indicates water familiarization–children with this badge are not considered safe swimmers, emphasizes the DLRG. Even after the course, it’s important to keep practicing. Swimming is a skill that needs regular practice to be maintained and improved–school lessons are usually not enough.

Tip: Check with local swimming pools for children’s programs. The Berliner Bäder-Betriebe, for example, offers water familiarization and swimming courses for children where they can earn the beginner badge and other certifications. There are also special courses for adults to learn swimming.⁴

Swimming aids–helpful, but never safe

Floaties, rings, or vests give many parents a sense of security. But they can slip, tip over, or fail. Suitable for water familiarization, but not for real swimming lessons.

For practice, kickboards or pool noodles are better. These can be borrowed for a deposit at most swimming pools. But even here, no child should be left unsupervised–even if they have mastered the first swimming strokes.⁵

Swimming becomes more of a risk–because fewer children learn it

The swimming situation in Germany has dramatically worsened over the years. As early as 2020, nearly 25 percent of elementary schools could no longer offer swimming lessons, according to the DLRG–due to dilapidated pools, staff shortages, and the coronavirus pandemic. The result: More and more children left elementary school without basic swimming skills. In the same year, statistics show 18 preschoolers and five elementary school children died in the water–experts see a clear connection to declining swimming ability.⁶

This trend has continued. According to a DLRG-Forsa survey from 2022, only 24 percent of elementary school students had the bronze badge–indicating safe swimming ability. More than half could not swim safely. Particularly affected: children from low-income households. While almost every second child from families with an income under 2,500 euros could not swim safely, it was only one in eight for families with an income over 4,000 euros. At the same time, there is a lack of swimming courses and pools–waiting lists are long.⁷

When many watch–but no one acts

An underestimated factor is the so-called diffusion of responsibility. It occurs when several adults are present, but no one feels directly responsible. Everyone thinks someone else is watching the child.

Especially during outings, barbecues, or at swimming pools, this is a real risk. Solution: Always clearly define who is watching the child. And who takes over if that person can’t for a moment.

Study shows: Parents overestimate their children’s awareness of danger

How realistically do parents, grandparents, and other caregivers assess the risk of drowning? This was precisely what the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV) examined as part of the “Vision Zero–Prevention of Child Accidents” project.

The aim of the study was to analyze the knowledge and behavior of caregivers regarding drowning risks and other everyday dangers (such as falling from windows)–especially from their own perspective. A total of 45 caregivers of children under 15 were surveyed–including parents, aunts, grandparents, foster parents, and neighbors. All participants care for children at least once a month, and more than half of the children cared for were younger than ten years.

Inattention and lack of supervision

Most participants were aware of the importance of supervision, but admitted that even short distractions are often underestimated. Especially with small children in shallow water, the risk is hardly present. However, many were well aware that even a brief moment of inattention can end tragically–especially because “silent drowning” is hardly noticeable.

Danger from diffusion of responsibility

A key finding was that many caregivers do not clearly define who is watching the child during joint activities (such as at the pool or in the garden). This leads to no one feeling directly responsible–everyone silently assumes someone else is watching. A clear division of roles was therefore cited as an indispensable measure to close this dangerous gap.

False sense of security through rules

A common misconception in the focus groups was the assumption that it is enough to explain behavioral rules to children. Many caregivers thought it was sufficient to warn children to behave cautiously–such as “don’t run into the water.” The problem: Children under about four years old do not yet have a stable awareness of danger from a developmental psychology perspective. They cannot correctly assess risks and quickly forget rules in new, exciting situations.

The study clearly shows: Prevention starts with adults. Not through appeals to children, but through realistic thinking, attention, responsibility–and good preparation for emergencies.⁸

More on the topic

Sudden Depth Beware: The Dangers of Swimming in Summer!

Everyday Question At what age should children ideally learn to swim?

What to do after a swimming accident? Recognize warning signs–act correctly

If a swimming accident does occur, the shock is often great after the rescue from the water–but the danger is not over. Some symptoms appear only later. Parents should take these warning signs seriously:

• Persistent cough
• Difficulty or rapid breathing
• Vomiting
• Lethargy or confusion

If these symptoms occur, the child must be examined by a doctor immediately. Reassurance: Without symptoms, there is no medically relevant danger–the often-mentioned “secondary” or “dry drowning” in the media does not occur suddenly without symptoms. The key lies in quick observation and clear decision-making.

The swimming rules for children–making safety fun

Anyone in the water–young or old–should follow some basic swimming rules from the DLRG. They are simple but crucial to prevent swimming accidents:

• Only go into the water if you feel fit and healthy.
• Before swimming, it’s important to take a quick shower and cool down the body.
• Avoid swimming on an empty or very full stomach.
• Non-swimmers should only go up to their chest in water–even in seemingly harmless waters.
• Inflatable swimming aids do not provide reliable protection and do not replace swimming ability or supervision.
• Only jump into the water if it is deep enough and free of obstacles.
• In case of a thunderstorm: leave the water immediately and seek shelter in a solid building.
• Only call for help if there is real danger–but don’t hesitate to help others in need.
• To protect nature and other swimmers, keep the water and its surroundings clean and dispose of trash properly.

A moment of inattention, ten centimeters of water–and it can be too late. Children drown silently. But with clear supervision, good preparation, swimming competence, and realistic assessment, parents can save lives–day by day.