If someone is drowning, shout for help and have someone call 911. Reach or throw something that floats instead of going in yourself. Once they’re out, if they aren’t breathing normally, give 2 breaths first, then start CPR with breaths, and dry the chest before using an AED.
Drowning is different from most emergencies because the problem starts with a lack of oxygen. That’s why breaths come first, and why Hands-Only CPR is not enough here.
How common is drowning in Arizona?
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States, and about 4,000 people drown in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC.
In Arizona, 36 children drowned in 2024. Three quarters of them were under age 5, and the state’s child fatality review found every one of those deaths preventable. For daycare, preschool, and church staff, this is a core topic, not a summer extra.
How do you help someone who is drowning without going in?
Check the scene. Shout for help, point at one person to call 911, and send someone for an AED.
Then reach or throw, don’t go. Extend a pole, rope, or anything that floats. Stay out of the water yourself unless you’re trained in water rescue. A second victim helps no one.
If you can do it safely, get them to shallow water or out of the water, face up with the head above water.
How do you give CPR to a drowning victim?
Once the person is out of the water, check if they respond and whether they’re breathing normally. Gasping is not normal breathing.
- Open the airway and give 2 breaths first. Tilt the head back and lift the chin. Each breath is about 1 second, just enough to make the chest rise. For an infant, tilt the head only slightly and cover the mouth and nose. If mouth-to-mouth isn’t possible, use mouth-to-nose.
- Check again. If they still aren’t breathing normally or responding, start CPR.
- Give CPR with breaths, not Hands-Only CPR: 30 compressions and 2 breaths, pushing hard and fast at 100 to 120 compressions a minute.
- Use the AED as soon as it arrives, after making sure they’re completely out of the water and the chest is dry.
- Keep going until EMS takes over or they start to breathe or respond.
Don’t try to drain water from the lungs. Go straight to breaths.
If you’re alone with no phone, give about 2 minutes of CPR first (about 5 rounds of 30 compressions and 2 breaths), then go call 911 and get the AED. See how to do CPR for compression depth by age.
Why do you dry the chest before using an AED?
Water on the chest can carry the AED’s current away from the heart. Get the person completely out of the water and wipe the chest dry before placing the pads.
The AED is still safe to use if the person is lying in a puddle or on a wet pool deck, as long as the chest itself is dry. Read more in how to use an AED.
What if they dove into shallow water?
Anyone who dove into shallow water or hit rocks or stumps may have a neck or spine injury. Move them only as much as you need to get them out of the water safely, and keep the head, neck, and spine in a straight line as much as you can. If they need CPR, CPR comes first. See head, neck, and spine injury first aid.
Being a good swimmer is not the same as being water competent
Swim lessons for children are a valuable layer of protection. But they are only one layer. A child who can swim across the pool in a lesson still needs a fence around the pool, an adult within arm’s reach, and a life jacket around open water.
The same goes for adults. Strong swimmers should never swim alone. Being water competent means relying on layers of protection, not on swimming skill alone.
How can you prevent drowning?
Use layers of protection, not just one:
- Fences: pool fences at least 4 feet tall, with self-closing, self-latching gates.
- Supervision: stay within arm’s reach of young or beginning swimmers.
- Swim lessons for children.
- Life jackets: Coast Guard approved life jackets around open water, like lakes and rivers.
- Never swim alone, at any age.
Remember that infants can drown in just a few inches of water. Bathtubs, buckets, and wading pools all count. In a daycare or nursery, keep infants and toddlers within arm’s reach around any water, including buckets and water tables.
This article is general education. It does not replace hands-on CPR and first aid training, where you practice these skills with an instructor.
How LP Health Directions can help
Our classes give extra time to drowning and CPR with breaths, because so many of our students care for young children in Arizona.
- CPR and First Aid classes at our Phoenix and Tucson Training Sites.
- On-site Group Training for daycares, schools, churches, and workplaces.
- AED Solutions for AED sales, leasing, and management near your pool or campus.
- For families: infant CPR classes for parents and caregivers.
- Book a class or contact us to train your team.
Sources
- CDC, Drowning Facts
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Child Fatality Review 32nd Annual Report
- American Heart Association, 2025 Guidelines for CPR and ECC
- American Heart Association, Updated CPR guidelines released for pediatric and neonatal emergency care and resuscitation
Reviewed September 28, 2026. This article provides general education and does not replace first aid and CPR training, medical advice, or 911 guidance.