Water Safety

In the United States:

More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death.
for children ages 5-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
For every child under age 18 who dies from drowning, another 7 receive emergency department care for nonfatal drowning.
Each year, there are approximately 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings. That is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.

For more information, visit the CDC Drowning Facts Page.

Nearly 40% of drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared to 10% for all unintentional injuries).
Drowning injuries can cause brain damage and other serious outcomes, including long-term disability.
Each year, there are approximately 8,000 non-fatal drownings. That is an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day.

For more information, visit the CDC Drowning Prevention Website.

A person must be 12 years or older to operate a motorboat (including PWC) 10 hp or over on Kentucky public waters.

Operators 12 to 17 years of age may legally operate a motorized vessel over 10 horsepower (including personal watercraft) only if they:

Have passed an approved boating safety course and carry on board their boater education certificate or…
Are accompanied on board by a person 18 years old or older or by a person who possesses a boater education card.

Lake Cumberland District Health Department