New Jersey officials urge water safety as children face heightened drowning risk during summer
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey health and child welfare officials are urging families to make water safety a priority as residents head to beaches, pools, lakes and water parks during the summer months.
“We encourage everyone to enjoy the water this season while remembering that swimming safety starts with preparedness and awareness. By following safety guidelines, supervising children closely, and paying attention to posted warnings, we can prevent accidents and protect lives,” said Dr. Raynard Washington, New Jersey health commissioner.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States. In New Jersey, an average of 10 children younger than 14 drown each year, while dozens more experience near-drowning incidents.
State officials also highlighted disparities in drowning rates, noting that American Indian/Alaska Native and Black children experience higher rates of fatal drowning than other racial and ethnic groups. The Department of Health also said children with autism face a significantly greater risk of drowning, with many incidents linked to wandering.
The New Jersey Department of Health is encouraging families to take several precautions, including swimming only in lifeguarded areas, providing constant and undistracted supervision of children, installing self-latching fences around home pools, enrolling children in swimming lessons, using properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets and learning CPR.
According to the department, data collected at regulated bathing facilities between 2018 and 2025 found that the presence of a lifeguard reduced the risk of fatal drowning by about 59%, although officials emphasized that lifeguards are not a substitute for parental supervision.
The Department of Health said it launched a statewide water safety campaign in 2025, including a Water Safety Toolkit and social media outreach, and helped develop the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance’s Water Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce drowning incidents by 30% by 2030.
“Children naturally prioritize fun over safety, and as parents, caregivers, and professionals dedicated to the health and public safety of our state—all of us—we all must do our part to ensure children and parents are fully prepared,” said New Jersey Department of Children and Families Acting Commissioner Joseph E. Ribsam Jr. “Together we can keep kids safe around water, by raising awareness about simple, and essential, lifesaving practices, such as early enrollment in swimming lessons, proper use of a life jacket, appointing a designated water watcher, and other critical steps in protecting our youth.”
The Department of Children and Families has also launched its 2026 “Keep Me Safe” water safety campaign, which includes educational materials and public awareness resources available online and through its provider network.
Officials said the combined efforts are intended to increase awareness, encourage safer behavior around water and reduce preventable drowning deaths.
