Drowning’s the No. 1 killer of young children — from Orange to Pasadena, experts are trying to change that

Just a month before he was to start swimming lessons, 21-month-old Jasper Ray St. Clair fell into a swimming pool in March 2014 in Orange and drowned. His babysitter had left the toddler alone to go to the bathroom and found him face down in the water, the boy’s father said.

An ambulance took Jasper to a hospital, where he was placed on life support before dying.

In the years since, his parents have dedicated themselves to water-safety education and drowning prevention by establishing the Jasper Ray Foundation. Jasper’s father, Jonathan St. Clair, sees the headlines roll in each year — of Simon Daniel, a Cal State Fullerton student who drowned in Lake Havasu, and Trigg Kiser, the 3-year-old son of a TikTok influencer, who died a couple of weeks ago from drowning in a backyard pool.

Until the loss of his son pushed him into drowning-prevention work, St. Clair didn’t know how many young lives are lost to drowning each year.

“It really hit home on how little we knew as parents about drowning prevention and water safety as a whole,” St. Clair said. “Until we had gotten into this space, I had no clue.”

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four, and the second leading cause of unintentional-injury death for children ages five to 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC estimates there are 11 drowning deaths each day in the U.S.

As of May 20, seven people have died from drowning in Orange County this year and another five experienced a near-drowning. From 2020 to 2023, 183 people died by drowning in Orange County, 314 people died in Los Angeles County and 177 died in Riverside County, according to data from health officials.

In San Bernardino County, from 2020 to 2023 there were 47 drowning deaths. Last year, seven people — three of them children — drowned in the county, said Linda Ha, a spokeswoman for Loma Linda University Health.

“Education is really what’s going to make the big change,” said Bobby Hazen, director of Stop Drowning Now, a national drowning-prevention organization that works with the Jasper Ray Foundation and other groups. “The education of the young children is really where we need to start.”

Last year, the Jasper Ray Foundation got material on water education cemented in the elementary school curriculum for most Orange Unified School District students, St. Clair said. Eventually, the hope is to push the curriculum statewide.

Also in 2024, the L.A. County Department of Public Health launched a public-safety campaign in different languages to raise awareness of drowning risks and prevention, especially for children and older adults.

‘They’re not just statistics’

Cristina Alvarado keeps a book on her desk at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena that features the stories of drowning victims, from babies to adults and strong swimmers as well as people who had never taken swimming lessons.

When someone first gave her the book several years ago, just opening it made her want to cry. She considered getting rid of it, but soon realized the book was a reminder that the programs she leads at the aquatics center – including swim lessons for all ages and abilities and CPR and first-aid classes – can save lives.

“These are all people,” Alvarado said. “They’re not just statistics. And every single one of those lives could have been saved if certain measures were exercised in advance.”

Drownings often happen quickly and quietly, sometimes in water as shallow as one inch, Pasadena officials emphasized at a recent event for International Water Safety Day. In some cases, victims may look like they’re treading water.

“Drowning victims aren’t always flailing around yelling for help,” said Chad Augustin, the Pasadena Fire Department’s chief. “Often, nothing is heard and there are no yells for attention (because) they’re using every bit of energy to stay afloat.”

So far this year, there have been nine reports of near-drownings involving children in Riverside County. In those cases, First 5 Riverside County – a department focused on the development of kids from birth until they turn five – reaches out to connect families with swimming lessons and barriers like fencing or window alarms, said the assistant director, Charna Widby.

The majority of near-drownings involving young kids occur in backyards and pools during non-swim times, when adults aren’t watching, Widby said.

Water safety

Many parents that Richard Specht meets think that they’ll protect their kids from drowning with supervision alone.

That isn’t enough, said Specht, the founder of the Rees Specht Life Foundation, named in honor of his 22-month-old son who drowned in October 2012 in a backyard pond shallow enough for him to stand in. When Specht’s son drowned at their Florida home, there was a miscommunication between Specht and a friend, leading both to think the other was watching the toddler.

Adult supervision is an important part of water safety, Specht said, but inevitably, there will be times when adults look away, creating a window when someone could drown.

Water-safety experts emphasize the importance of having multiple layers of protection whenever someone is around a body of water:

• At least two barriers to pools, such as fencing, gates, latches, alarms, pool covers and safety nets
• Swim lessons for all ages, which can begin as early as six months old
• Designated sober supervisors keeping an eye on everyone in the water
• Alarms on pool covers or gates outside a pool
• Access to and proper use of lifejackets in open bodies of water and on boats
• CPR training and other emergency preparedness

For a day at the pool, beach or other body of water, Alvarado recommends parents get their children bright-colored swimsuits, so that they’re easy to find in the water.

Various pools offer cost-friendly swimming lessons. At the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, Pasadena residents can receive up to 75% off and non-residents can get up to half off of the cost of swim lessons, lap swimming and water fitness, among other programs by applying for financial assistance at rosebowlaquatics.org/scholarships.

In Orange County, the Jasper Ray Foundation offers free water-safety events throughout the summer with the Orange County Drowning Prevention Coalition. A schedule is available at drowningpreventionoc.org/safer-summer-pool-party.

Families can get free swimming lessons in Riverside County pools if they have exposure or access to an open body of water, especially if they’re referred by someone at First 5 or another county department.

Water-safety awareness often focuses on educating and better monitoring children, but Erin Malone, a program coordinator with the Riverside University Health System, said it’s just as important to emphasize safety for adults.

In 2023 in Riverside County, of the 31 people who drowned to death, 24 were adults.

In some cases, Malone said, adult swimmers have experienced medical events and slipped under the water undetected. If they had brought someone with them, a tragedy may have been prevented.

“Our big message for … adults is, ‘Even if you’re fully grown, never ever swim alone,’ ” Malone said.

Staff reporter Brian Rokos contributed to this report.