Every drowning impacts the San Diego community — and every number represents a life forever changed. Below are the most recent statistics compiled from the California Department of Public Health on fatal and non-fatal drownings among San Diego residents over the past eight years (2016–2023).
San Diego Resident Drownings (2016–2023)
- Fatal Drownings: 331 total (Average: 41 per year)
Rate: San Diego – 1.3 | California – 1.4 | U.S. – 1.11
Ages 0–19:
- 40 deaths, including 3 under age one
- Ages 1–4: 23 deaths (Average: 3 per year)
- Age 2: 13 deaths
By Sex:
- Male: 70% of fatal drownings
By Age:
- 60% of victims were over age 45, including 77 over age 65
By Location:
- Natural Water: 87
- Bath: 69
- Pool: 55
By Intent:
- Unintentional: 238
- Suicide: 82
Non-Fatal Drownings
- Hospitalizations: 384 total, including 220 ages 0–19
- Emergency Department Visits: 1,027 total, including 439 ages 1–4
Yearly Fatal Drownings (San Diego Medical Examiner Reports)
- 2023: 62 (53 unintentional)
- 2022: 51 (41 unintentional)
- 2021: 69 (61 unintentional)
- 2020: 43
- 2019: 50
- 2018: 66
- 2017: 42
- 2016: 40
Total: 423
Source: California Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch. (2025, May 1). EpiCenter: California Injury Data Online. Retrieved 05/19/25 from CDPH EpiCenter.
Drowning doesn’t always look like you think it will. It is silent. It is fast. And often, it happens when a caregiver steps away for just a moment.
At the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego, we believe education saves lives. Our mission is to reduce the number of preventable drownings through programs that provide:
- Access to swim lessons and water safety education
- Support for CPR and first-aid training
- Community outreach targeting high-risk age groups
- Partnerships with local agencies and first responders
We believe every child deserves to be water-safe.
We believe no parent should suffer the loss of a child to something so preventable.
We believe drowning is 100% preventable — and it starts with awareness, action, and access.
Let’s turn these numbers into change. Join us in honoring those we’ve lost by helping protect those we still can.
Donate to support our mission
Share water safety tips with your community
Enroll in swim lessons or CPR training
Advocate for safer environments in and around water
Visit preventdrowningfoundation.org to learn more or get involved. Because every number is a name and every life matters.
