B. Bea Sharper on Swimming

Gazette Numerical Wizard B. Bee Sharper Reveals the Numerical Facts About Swimming that Harper’s Missed

Percentage of swimming worldwide that involves water — 100%.

Percentage of Americans who are afraid of swimming pools — around 50%.

Approximate number of drowning deaths that occur each year — 3800.

Approximate number of these drowning deaths that occur in pools –700.

Approximate number of pool-related emergency department treated injuries that occur each year — 5700.

Percentage of Americans who are afraid of deep, open bodies of water, like lakes — around 66%.

Percentage of Americans who are afraid of the deep end of a swimming pool — 46%.

Percentage of American men who say that they are unable to swim — 21%.

Percentage of American women who say that they are unable to swim — 51%.

Percentage of Americans who say that they are unable to swim — 37%.

Percentage of African Americans who say that they are unable to swim — 62%.

Percentage of Caucasian Americans who say that they are unable to swim — 32%.

Percentage of Asian Americans who say that they are unable to swim — 47%.

Percentage of Hispanic Americans who say that they are unable to swim — 44%.

Rank of drowning as cause of unintentional injury and death in children 1 to 19 — 2.

Factor by which 5 to 19 year old African American children are more likely to drown in a swimming pool than their peers — 6 times.

Percentage reduction in drowning of 1 to 4 year old children which can be attributed to formal swimming lessons –88%.

Reference Source: “More Swimmers Will Result in a Healthier Society, Fewer Drownings and Reduced Healthcare Costs, ” by Thomas Lachocki,  Ph. D..  Paper commissioned by the National Swimming Pool Foundation and reprinted in Water Conditioning and Purification Magazine, August, 2012,

Editor’s Note:   B. Bea Sharper, a big swimming pool fan,  wasn’t bothered that the numerical facts for this piece came from the National Swimming Pool Foundation, but the whole thing seemed a bit awkward to me.  The point being made, if I understood the article,  is that you should get  yourself a swimming pool so  you can learn  to swim so you won’t drown in a swimming pool.  Or that African Americans  especially should get a pool because their children are six times more likely than “their peers” to drown in a pool.  Isn’t this a little like saying you should get your child a gun so he will learn how to handle it and will be less likely to kill  himself with a gun? And as for the 46% of Americans who are afraid of the deep end of a swimming pool, they need to put in a pool so they can overcome their fear of the deep end of the pool. There’s a lesson here somewhere, but I’m missing it. –Hardly Waite, Pure Water Gazette.