Trump cuts CDC drowning prevention unit just as child water deaths surge to shocking new levels

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s drowning prevention team has been laid off as part of recent cuts implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration this April. The team was responsible for tracking and publicizing drowning incidents across the United States, as well as collaborating with organizations like the YMCA and American Red Cross to facilitate swimming lessons for at-risk children.

The timing of these cuts has raised significant concerns among water safety advocates, as drowning deaths have seen a notable increase during the pandemic. According to Politico, drowning fatalities rose to 4,300, compared to approximately 4,000 in 2019. The increase was particularly pronounced among children aged 1 to 4, for whom drowning remains the leading cause of death.

“We’re actively pulling away the lifelines and resources that we use to keep our kids safe, and that’s really terrifying,” said Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, a non-profit association of injury and violence prevention professionals.

CDC data reveals concerning trends in drowning incidents

The CDC’s research has highlighted that drowning ranks among the top three causes of death by unintentional injury for individuals aged 5 to 34. The data also exposed significant racial disparities, with American Indian, Alaska Native, and Black communities experiencing the highest rates of drowning deaths.

While states will continue to report drowning incidents through the CDC’s National Vital Statistics System, there will no longer be a dedicated team to analyze this data. This gap in analysis has raised concerns among federal officials, water safety experts, and medical professionals who worry that crucial patterns in drowning deaths may go undetected.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the downsizing of federal health agencies during a Senate hearing on Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal, citing the need to address bureaucratic expansion that occurred during the Biden administration and manage the federal deficit. However, the specific cuts to the drowning prevention team were not addressed during the hearing.

A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson stated that the administration remains committed to preventing drowning deaths, but did not provide specific details on how these efforts would continue without the CDC team. Some researchers suggest that the recent increase in drowning deaths may be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, when fewer lifeguards were on duty and swimming lessons were limited due to lockdown measures. However, without the CDC team’s continued analysis, such theories will remain difficult to verify.

An anonymous CDC official expressed concerns about the execution of these cuts, noting that ongoing work was disrupted and taxpayer dollars were wasted in the process. The official emphasized that drowning prevention is a unique field with limited alternative resources for this type of critical work.