Michigan’s Fatal Drowning Case Registry is a collaborative effort between The National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Network of Public Health Institutes that builds on the efforts of local CDR teams. Michigan’s Fatal Drowning Case Registry is housed within the Center for Child and Family Health at MPHI. Michigan was selected to pilot this initiative along with five other jurisdictions in 2021. Since 2022, information about the circumstances associated with fatal drownings in Michigan among children ages 0 through 17 years old has been gathered.

The goals of the project are:

1. To develop a nationally standardized drowning investigation tool.
2. To pilot the drowning tool and enhanced data collection in child drowning deaths using existing child fatality review programs.
3. To assess the feasibility of a national drowning case registry.

The Fatal Drowning Case Registry aims to better understand the context and causes of fatal drownings, and to thereby address both the burden and observed disparities in drowning deaths for children across the country. By investigating these deaths in a more thorough manner, we hope to learn how to better prevent future drowning fatalities.