Executive Summary

Each year, about 4,000 people die from drowning in the United States. Drowning was a leading cause of unintentional injury death among all ages in 1998, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 1-14 that same year. Approximately 50-75% of drownings occur in open water such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds. About 60% of drowning deaths among children occur in swimming pools.

Many organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), routinely respond to inquiries regarding the efficacy of lifeguards in preventing drownings. Community and local government officials facing decisions about whether to begin, retain, or discontinue lifeguarding services typically want to know whether lifeguards are truly effective in preventing drowning and other aquatic mishaps, and whether the value of providing lifeguard protection outweighs the costs. Most drownings are preventable through a variety of strategies, one of which is to provide lifeguards in public areas where people are known to swim and to encourage people to swim in those protected areas. Some estimates indicate that the chance of drowning at a beach protected by lifeguards can be less than one in 18 million. There is no doubt that trained, professional lifeguards have had a positive effect on drowning prevention in the United States.

The significance of the patron surveillance and supervision that lifeguards provide is emphasized by understanding how people drown. Many people assume that drowning persons are easy to identify because they exhibit obvious signs of distress. Instead, people tend to drown quietly and quickly. Children and adults are rarely able to call out or wave their arms when they are in distress in the water, and can submerge in 20-60 seconds. For these reasons, managers should never assign lifeguards duties that distract them from keeping an eye on the water, such as selling admission tickets or refreshments. In addition, the presence of lifeguards may deter behaviors that could put swimmers at risk for drowning, such as horseplay or venturing into rough or deep water, much like increased police presence can deter crime.

When making decisions about using lifeguards and other means of increasing public safety in aquatic settings, policy makers should use available local evidence. This evidence includes:

• the effects that lifeguards have had on patrons’ safety and attitudes;

• the number of people using the facility or beach area during the past years;

• the incidence of water-related injuries and drownings at the facility or beach area during those time periods;

• data on the number of water-related injuries and drownings at pools and beaches in the local area or state with and without lifeguards, for comparison; and

• the level of lifeguards provided (e.g., number of lifeguards per number of persons using the facility).

In addition to these factors, policy makers should consider public attitudes about lifeguards and legal issues related to using lifeguards.