World Drowning Prevention Day and Water Safety Month: How to Take Part

World Drowning Prevention Day is July 25 each year, and National Water Safety Month is every May in the United States. Both are chances to turn awareness into action: get a child or adult signed up for swim lessons, book a CPR class, check a pool gate, or name a Water Watcher for the summer. This page has ideas for schools, faith and cultural groups, families and local leaders.

What these observances are

World Drowning Prevention Day (July 25). The World Health Organization says the day was declared through the April 2021 UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/75/273 (opens in a new tab), "Global drowning prevention," and is held every year on July 25. WHO describes it as an opportunity to highlight the impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer life-saving solutions. Ahead of the 2026 day, WHO launched PROTECT (opens in a new tab), a package of seven strategies, with the theme "Unite to turn the tide."

National Water Safety Month (May). National Water Safety Month (opens in a new tab) is an annual U.S. awareness campaign coordinated by the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance, with support from the American Red Cross, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, the National Recreation and Park Association and the World Waterpark Association. Its site has safety tips, a pledge and a list of state proclamations.

Why it matters

• The World Health Organization says there are around 300,000 drowning deaths worldwide (opens in a new tab) each year, and that children under 5 make up nearly a quarter of them.
• In the U.S., the CDC counts about 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths a year (opens in a new tab) (2012-2021 average), and over 4,500 a year from 2020 to 2022 (opens in a new tab).
• More children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than from any other cause in the U.S.

There is hope in the data too. WHO says the global drowning death rate has fallen 38% since 2000, from 6.1 to 3.8 per 100,000 people. Prevention works.

~300,000

WHO's seven PROTECT strategies

WHO's July 2026 package names seven proven ways to reduce drowning. They make a good structure for a talk or a social media series:

1. Physical infrastructure that promotes safe interaction with water.
2. Rescue and resuscitation capability for bystanders and professional responders.
3. Occupational safety for work around water.
4. Transport safety standards for water travel.
5. Education in basic swimming and water safety.
6. Child-care systems and safeguarding.
7. Threat preparedness for floods and other emergencies.

Ideas for schools

• Teach one of our free K-12 water safety lesson plans in May, before summer break.
• Send a home water safety checklist and a list of local free swim lessons to every family.
• Invite a CPR instructor for older students or staff.
• Ask students to make an accurate safety poster that cites its source.

Ideas for faith and cultural groups

• Make a short announcement before summer and before holiday travel.
• Host a workshop after prayers, services or weekend classes; see water safety for faith groups.
• Sign a family water safety pledge together.
• Plan this summer's picnics and youth trips with Water Watchers and life jackets.

Ideas for families

• Ask everyone in the family, "Can you swim?" and sign up anyone who can't.
• Check your pool or spa gate: does it close and latch by itself?
• Choose your summer Water Watcher system and print the cards.
• Book a CPR class.
• Learn the quiet signs of drowning together.

Ideas for local leaders and organizations

• Host a community water safety workshop.
• Share free and low-cost swim lesson options in your newsletter.
• Check whether your state has proclaimed May as Water Safety Month on the NWSM proclamations page (opens in a new tab).
• Look at the gaps in your area; our guide to drowning disparities explains what CDC data show and what helps.

Share infographics (with embed codes)

Our free infographics cover topics like the quiet signs of drowning, layers of protection and life jackets. Each one has an embed code you can copy onto a school, community or news website, with a simple credit link back to the source page. You're welcome to use them in newsletters and presentations too.

When you share any number, keep its year and source. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance's layers of protection (opens in a new tab) are a good frame: barriers and alarms, supervision, water competency, life jackets and emergency preparation, used together.

Local media and social posts

• Pitch real local news. A free swim lesson day, a CPR class, a new life jacket loaner station or a school program is a story. Awareness alone usually isn't.
• Keep it hopeful and practical. Lead with what people can do this week.
• Be gentle with loss. If you share a family's story, do it only with their permission, and focus on prevention, not on the details of what happened.

What you can do today

• Put May 1 and July 25 in your calendar.
• Choose one action for your school, group or family.
• Print the pledge and a pool safety checklist.
• Share one infographic with a friend or group chat.
• Plan a workshop for next May.