‘NOT ON MY WATCH’
Drowning injuries and fatalities are so commonplace that the stories could fill up whole newspapers.
The CDC estimates that about 10 people die from drowning in the U. S. every day.
Children ages 1 through 4 have the highest drowning rates and most of those drownings happen in home swimming pools.
Drowning events are real, tragic, frequently preventable,and much more than just statistics.
There are measures that service technicians can take to promote drowning awareness.
Speak to parents about removing toys and other temptations from the pool area.
Encourage parents to learn about layers of protection: pool covers, gates and alarms.
Remind parents there is no substitution for total supervision around the pool area.
Service professionals are in peoples’ backyards every day, and in a unique position to point out danger areas, but may not do so unless the drowning problem is brought home to them.
To that end, the following is a description of just some of the drowning incidents that have recently occurred.
Edmond, Oklahoma, June 16 — 18-year-old Oluwatoyin Adewole Amuda drowned at a home pool while attending a graduation pool party.
The owner of the home is a former law enforcement officer and said he was unaware that alcohol was being consumed.
Lubbock County, Texas, June 20 — 1-yearold Camila Alessandra Mejia drowned in a backyard pool.
Swatera Township, Pennsylvania, June 24 —
A 7-year-old drowned at a hotel pool. The child died at the hospital.
Lubbock County, Texas, June 25 — 2-yearold Mason Andrew Ramirez died at the hospital after being found unresponsive in a backyard pool. First responders encountered family members performing CPR and took over rescue efforts.
Opp, Alabama, June 26 — A 2-year-old boy drowned in a home pool. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Bakersfield, California, June 26 — 2-year-old Aaron Jamie Willaert was found unresponsive in a residential pool and died at the hospital.
Sarasota, Florida, June 26 — A 2-year-old boy was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive at the bottom of a swimming pool while he was outside playing with other children. The incident occurred at a family friend’s home where the family was visiting from out of state.
Orange, Florida, June 27 — A 7-year-old child was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the family’s swimming pool.
Phoenix, Arizona, June 27 — A 4-year-old boy died at the hospital after he was found floating in a pool at a party. Police said officers learned the boy, who was not identified, was swimming at a pool party and had drowned.
Walton, Kentucky, June 30 — A 2-year-old boy drowned after wandering over to a neighbor’s house and falling in their pool.
Shreveport, Louisiana, July 1 — 42-year-old Kimberly Lope drowned in an apartment complex pool trying to assist one of her children. The child was pulled from the pool and survived. Lope was taken to the hospital where she died.
Broward, Florida, July 3 — A 5 1/ 2- year-old child was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in a neighbor’s swimming pool when he was reported missing from his home.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 4 — A 4-year-old girl died after her parents found her in their swimming pool.
Plains Township, Pennsylvania, July 5 —
Two boys, ages 3 and 6 died after being found unresponsive in a pool. The children did not live at the home but were being watched by someone at a home nearby.
Cresskill, New Jersey, July 5 — A 5-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital after drowning in a home swimming pool.
Osceola, Florida, July 5 — A 4 1/ 2- year-old child was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the swimming pool while the family was vacationing from out of state.
Johnson County, Indiana, July 6 — A man was sent to the hospital in critical condition after being found in his pool. It is not known what led to the incident.
