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Drowning concerns grow as summer approaches

By Brian Hagen

05/09/2025

(KAIR)--Drowning has claimed seven lives already this year at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas across the Midwest, with a release citing a common factor in each drowning: none of the victims were wearing a life jacket.

The release from the Army Corp of Engineers says the early spate of fatalities in the eastern footprint of the Army Corp's Northwestern Division is raising concerns among officials, as it- still early in the recreation season. The division has documented two drownings in Missouri, one in Kansas, two in South Dakota, and two in Colorado. There have also been other drownings in the region along the Missouri River.

Army Corp data for its lands last year shows that 91 percent of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets. That data also highlights that males are 94 percent of those who drown, and adults 18 and older account for 87 percent of the victims. Notably, falling into water unexpectedly can cause involuntary gasping, injuries or disorientation, which make it more difficult to recover.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 35 drownings in 2024 with five already this year. Drowning data for Kansas and Nebraska wasn’t immediately available.

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