Arizona sees drop in drownings in 2025, but winter tragedies raise alarms

PHOENIX — As 2025 comes to a close, drowning prevention advocates in Arizona say there is both progress and heartbreak, especially when it comes to young children and wintertime pool safety.

Just days after Christmas, a 2-year-old girl was found at the bottom of a backyard pool in Glendale after her mother lost track of her.

“They helped as much as they could before the EMTs got here,” a family member said.

The child was last listed in critical condition.

Only five days earlier, on Dec. 22, another 2-year-old girl died after being pulled from a backyard pool in Tempe.

Two devastating cases — both occurring in the middle of winter.

“A lot of times when we get away from the summer months, we drop our guards down,” said Jay Arthur, a retired firefighter and president of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona.

Arthur said distractions during the holidays can increase the risk.

“We get distracted with holidays, things at the end of the year, and we’re not watching our kids like we would normally around the hot summer months around a pool,” he said.

Arizona’s warm winters also create additional challenges, particularly for visitors who may not be familiar with pool safety.

“We do have a lot of issues of Airbnb’s. People come for vacation time this time of year, so they need to keep their guards up, regardless, around water in the pools,” Arthur said.

Despite the recent tragedies, data shows improvement. In 2024, Maricopa and Pinal counties recorded 75 drowning deaths, including 18 children under the age of 5. This year, total drownings dropped to 52, with 8 fatalities involving children under 5, according to Children’s Safety Zone. 

Arthur said many of last year’s child drownings occurred during what experts call “non-scheduled swimming times.”

“They weren’t supposed to be in the pools. They made access to the backyard pool, typically through a regular door,” he said.

He credits education campaigns and simple safety tools for helping reduce pediatric deaths, including door alarms that alert caregivers when a child enters a pool area.

“For less than $10, you can have something that can save a child’s life,” Arthur said.

While child drownings declined, adult drownings remain a concern. This year, 43 adults drowned in Arizona, compared to 52 last year.

“We tell them not to swim alone. Lot of them, if they have a medical issue and they’re by themselves, there’s no one there to help in the pool,” Arthur said. “Alcohol around any kind of body of water, especially at lakes and rivers, causes a lot of problems with making poor decision making.”

Arthur also urged homeowners to secure pools during the winter months, especially if they are not in use.

“Anything that might be in the pool that might attract the trial to it, like floaties, toys, anything like that. Floatable inflatable animals get them away,” he said. “So they when they look at the pool, they’re not attracted to it.”

Even in cooler weather, Arthur said the danger never goes away.

“We can’t drop our guard down,” Arthur said. We can’t pat ourselves on the back saying, ‘Yeah, we had a good year,’ I want to see 2026 even farther down than that, and the way we do is keep people’s awareness level up all year round.”

You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12+ app! 

The free 12+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. 

12+  showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. 

Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. 

Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.” 

Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12+ app to add to your account, or have the 12+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.