Learning to swim is a Life Saving Skill.

About one in five people who die from drowning within the United States are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another eight receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

Males: Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning in the United States are male.

People with Autism: Drowning is the leading cause of death for children and adults with Autism.

Drowning kills about 4,000 people each year in the United States.

70-80% of childhood drownings occurs in backyard swimming pools. A Bathtub is most common location for a child under one.

“Children Drown In Silence.”

Those words are not just a slogan, but a reality and reflect the message conveyed by the members of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso, Texas.

The Coalition formed in March of 2010 following an astonishing nine drowning deaths in El Paso County the year before. The Coalition wants to reduce the number of fatal drownings by building a culture of water safety which with 30 area agencies comprised of aquatics experts and swim advocates want to bring an awareness, and education about drowning prevention to not only children, but also to adults and families.

The Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso was formed through the efforts of Laura and Eddie Castle, parents of Christian Castle who passed away through a fatal drowning August 11, 2006.

Christian Castle Lifeguard Olympics Video 2016

Mission Statement: “To promote, develop and support training and community education efforts that prevent fatal drownings, non-fatal drownings and other water related incidents in El Paso County and the surrounding areas.”

The Drowning Prevention Coalition of EL Paso and the Christian Castle Memorial Fund are a project of the El Paso Community Foundation, a charitable 501c (3).