‘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 prmote drowning awareness.

Speak to parents about removing toys and other temptations from the pool area.

Encourage parents to learn about the 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.

Dayton, Ohio, May 25 —

A 6-year-old boy died after falling into his home’s pool. The boy was autistic and non-verbal.

Arlington, Tennessee, May 31 —

A 7-year-old boy drowned in a neighbor’s swimming pool. The boy had been reported missing and was found by police drone.

Morgan Township, Ohio, June 11 —

7-year-old Ian J. Pequignot drowned while snorkeling in a private pool with other children while under adult supervision.

Citrus County, Florida, June 11 —

A 10-year-old autistic child was pronounced deceased 3 days after he was found unresponsive in the family's swimming pool when he got out of the home undetected.

Lake County, Florida, June 11 —

A 1 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased after she was found unresponsive in the apartment complex swimming pool when she got out of the residence undetected early in the morning and was reported missing.

Martin County, Florida, June 13 —

A 2 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased after she was found unresponsive in the family's swimming pool.

Martin County, Florida, June 14 —

A 5 1/ 2– year-old was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the neighbor's swimming pool when he got out of the home undetected.

Osceola County, Florida, June 14 —

A 5 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased after she was found unresponsive in the swimming pool at the Airbnb where the family was vacationing from another state. At the time of the incident, the family had been having a pool party.

Polk County, Florida, June 14 —

A 7 1/ 2– year-old autistic child was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the family's swimming pool when she and her sibling were briefly left unattended by the father while swimming at the grandparents' residence.

Bakersfield, California, June 14 —

A 3-year-old boy drowned in a pool and died 3 days later.

Monroe, Georgia, June 14 —

A 2-year-old boy died after drowning in a home swimming pool.

Henrico County, Virginia, June 15 —

A toddler died after he was found unresponsive in a swimming pool.

Deltona, Florida, June 16 —

A 7-year-old girl with epilepsy died in her home’s swimming pool while her mother was inside the house with her other children.

Chesterfield, Virginia, June 18 —

An unidentified child died 9 days after drowning in a swimming pool.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 19 —

2-year-old Kehlani Russell drowned in a home swimming pool.

Wyandotte, Michigan, June 20 —

A 2-year-old girl drowned in a swimming pool during a party.

Virginia Beach, Virginia, June 20 —

An unidentified boy died days after being pulled from a swimming pool.

Hillsborough County, Florida, June 20 —

A 1 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased 3 days after he was found unresponsive in the swimming pool when he got out of the home undetected while being watched by his grandmother.

Utica, New York, June 22 —

A 6-year-old girl who had gone missing drowned in a neighbor’s gated and locked swimming pool.

Granger, Indiana, June 23 —

A 6-year-old boy who had been reported missing was found unresponsive in a neighbor’s pool. The boy was autistic and non-verbal.

Pierre Part, Louisiana, June 24 —

A 3-year-old died after being found unresponsive in a swimming pool.