The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) published its Child Drowning Update for 2024 on 30 September 2024. The charity reports that in the last four years, on average, at least one child a month drowned at home in England, using data from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)1. It says child drowning deaths in England have doubled since 2019-201.
The report states that 2 out of 3 drownings that occurred at home did so in the bath, and that most of the children affected were aged under five1. In 86% of child drownings, the child was unsupervised by an adult at the time of the incident1. Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said that in some cases of bath drownings the parent had only left the bathroom for a moment1.
"We always advise parents and carers to keep young children within arm's reach in water. And if you do need to leave the bathroom at all, take the child with you."
The charity also published results of a consumer survey carried out in September 2024, using a geographically representative sample of 1,003 parents of children under five from across the UK1. It found that 55% of parents believe they would hear thrashing and a lot of noise if their child was struggling in the bath, which the charity says is not the case, and that 59% of parents of children under five said they had left the bathroom at least once in the last month while their child was in the bath, for most because they had forgotten something such as a towel1.
| Finding | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average child drownings at home in England, last four years | At least one a month1 |
| Home drownings that occurred in the bath | 2 out of 31 |
| Child drownings where the child was unsupervised | 86%1 |
| Parents who believe they would hear thrashing and noise | 55%1 |
| Parents of under-fives who left the bathroom in the last month | 59%1 |
Why it matters for households
The figures concern households in England with young children, most of those affected being under five1. The charity's advice is that parents and carers keep young children within arm's reach in water, and that if they need to leave the bathroom at all, they take the child with them1. It says a child can drown quickly and silently, in a matter of minutes1. The charity's general home safety guidance sits alongside its wider material on home emergencies.
What happens next
RLSS UK is launching a campaign, Splash Safety at your Pad, which will run from 1 to 31 October 20241. The charity says the campaign seeks to raise awareness among parents and carers of young children about water safety at home, with a particular focus on bathtime, and that it will share hints and tips on its social channels1.
