Children Drown in Summer, Elderly in Winter: South Korea Reports Stark Seasonal Patterns in Drowning Accidents

Drowning incidents show distinct seasonal and location-based patterns depending on age, with a significant fatality rate across all age groups, according to a recent report. Over the past five years, nearly one-third of patients hospitalized for non-intentional drowning accidents died. The data, collected from 23 hospitals nationwide from 2021 to 2025, reveals that children aged 0-9 experience over half of their drowning accidents during the summer months, often occurring in water parks, pools, or outdoor locations like beaches and rivers. For individuals aged 70 and above, drowning incidents are concentrated in the winter, with a striking 68.9% occurring in public bathhouses.

Health authorities attribute the higher winter risk for the elderly to potential dizziness or loss of consciousness caused by sudden temperature changes when using facilities like public bathhouses. This age group also faces the highest fatality rate, with 51.4% of drowning victims over 70 dying, a stark contrast to the 8.1% fatality rate among children aged 0-9. The most affected age groups were those 70 and older (29.3% of patients) and children aged 0-9 (26.7%).

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Elderly individuals may experience temporary loss of consciousness or dizziness due to sudden temperature changes when using multi-use facilities like public bathhouses in winter, which can lead to accidents.

Across all age groups, drowning accidents are most frequent during the summer, on weekends, and in the afternoon. The period between noon and 6 p.m. saw the highest concentration of incidents (40.4%), followed closely by the evening hours from 6 p.m. to midnight (33.7%). Men accounted for approximately 74.7% of drowning victims, nearly three times the rate for women. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) emphasized the critical importance of prevention, urging particular attention to water safety for the elderly and children.

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Drowning accidents occur in an instant and carry a very high risk of death, so prevention is crucial. Please pay special attention to water safety, especially for the elderly and children.