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This Child Fatality information provided by the Injury & Violence Prevention section of the Office of Disease Prevention & Epidemiology.
1999 Child Fatality Review
Drowning Deaths
A total of 17 children drowned in Oregon in 1999. Drowning deaths among children numbered 24 in 1997
and 16 in 1998. Fifteen males and two females died in drowning incidents in 1999. Thirty-five percent (6)
of the drownings occurred among children aged 1-4, and six occurred among children aged 15-17 years. Fifty-nine
percent (10) of the drownings occurred in rivers and lakes.
| A 4 year old drowned in a river on Saturday after falling into the water from the bank upon which he, his father and 3 year old sister were fishing. The father jumped into the river to try to save the boy and he also drowned in an attempt to save his son. The 3 year old was found by a local couple sometime later and returned to her mother by County Sheriff?s deputies who investigated the incident. |
Strong currents and cold water temperatures in bodies of water fed by snow melt, even in the summer, played an important
role in the deaths occurring in lakes and rivers. Table 3 illustrates the frequencies
of death by age group and type of water.
TABLE 3:PLACE OF DROWNING BY AGE GROUP,OREGON 1999,N=17
| Place | <1 | 1-4 | 5-9 | 0-14 | 15-17 | Total |
| Lake | | | | 1 | | 1 |
| Ocean | | | 1 | | | 1 |
| River | | 2 | | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Swimming Pool | | 1 | | | | 1 |
| Other | | 3 | | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Total | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 17 |
| Source: Child Fatality Review Data
Lack of appropriate supervision was identified as a factor in 29% (5) cases. One 15-17
year old victim was under the influence of LSD. Alcohol was a factor in the youngest
drowning death. Swimming ability was also frequently a factor in the drowning
deaths. Of the 15 children for whom swimming ability was known, 67% (10) were
known to be non-swimmers. One child died while ?river boarding?; he fell off his
board and got entangled in a cord attached to the board. Three children drowned in
boating related incidents. Oregon law requires all children 12 and under to wear a
personal floatation device (PFD). All of the drowning victims were older than 12 years
and none were wearing a PFD. One death was determined by the fatality review team
to be due to neglect.
Recommendations to Prevent Drowning Deaths
- Educate parents and teens on the deadly nature of the cold and heavy currents in Oregon's rivers and lakes.
- Supervise children in and near water.
- Teach children to swim.
- Encourage the use of PFDs for non-boating uses in rivers and lakes.
Examples of current safety initiatives
- Signs posted in swimming areas warning of current and cold temperatures.
- 1997 personal floatation device (PFD) law: children 12 and under required to wear PFD (life jacket) while boating.
- Lifeguard program on Sandy river by City of Sandy.
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