DOH raises awareness for Hawaiʻi Water Safety Day on May 15

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health, together with the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition and the YMCA, is raising awareness about drowning risks and prevention as the state observes Hawaiʻi Water Safety Day on May 15. The day was established last year with the signing of Senate Bill 2841 by Gov. Josh Green.

Hawaiʻi has the second highest resident drowning rate in the nation, according to DOH data. Drowning is also the leading cause of injury-related death for visitors and the No. 1 cause of death for Hawaiʻi children ages 1 to 15.

Key findings from DOH include:

• Fewer than 2% of Hawaiʻi’s second graders have the basic skills to avoid or recover from drowning.
• Nearly 9 in 10 drowning victims ages 1 to 15 were residents, with most drownings (64%) occurring in swimming pools.

In response, the DOH Emergency Medical Services & Injury Prevention System Branch is developing a statewide child drowning prevention initiative aimed at reducing fatal and nonfatal drownings. The initiative will promote public safety messaging and expand access to water safety education and swim lessons, focusing on underserved communities.

“Every year in Hawaiʻi we lose young children to fatal drownings, and we see many more in our trauma centers and emergency departments,” said Garrett D. Hall, state trauma program manager and acting branch chief of the DOH EMSIPSB. “Some children suffer long-term health effects such as brain damage. Toddlers are especially at risk, as are children with health conditions. However, drownings are preventable.”

The department has partnered with the YMCA’s “Phones Down, Eyes Up” campaign, which urges parents and caregivers to designate a “water watcher” — an adult who remains focused and free from distractions like phones, conversations or alcohol while supervising children near water.

Officials also recommend the following steps to protect loved ones:

• Designate a “water watcher” during swimming activities and during pool or beach parties.
• Families with pools should install barriers, including four-sided fencing with latching gates and alarms on windows, doors, gates and in pools.
• Empty wading pools after every use.
• Parents and caregivers should learn CPR in case of an emergency. The American Red Cross offers a free online class on Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers as well as fee-based CPR classes.
• Enroll children in swim lessons that include water safety skills. Lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% and should be combined with other protective factors.
• Go to lifeguarded beaches and pay attention to signs and ocean conditions.
• Wear US Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) while aboard a vessel operating or anchored offshore, including on SUPs and kayaks. PFDs are required for children 12 years and under.

The DOH also contributed to the publication of the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition’s 2025 “I Palekana Kākou Ka Wai: Let Us Be Safe in the Water,” (Let Us Be Safe in the Water), a roadmap to ensure that everyone in Hawaiʻi is safe in, on, or around the water.

The plan incorporates guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Inspired by the US National Water Safety Action Plan, Hawaiʻi’s plan has specific action recommendations that address the state’s unique ocean and aquatic environments and the cultural, social and economic factors that affect the state’s drowning numbers.

The coalition will be hosting a meeting to discuss the plan on May 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Waikīkī. Registration is required, and there is an admission fee of $25. Register for the meeting here.