‘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.

Harris County, Texas, February 11 — Kelsey and Kinsley Kite, 2- and 3-year-old sisters, drowned in their backyard pool while the home’s adult occupants slept.

Galena, Illinois, February 13 —

17-year-old Jack Zucco drowned at a ski resort swimming pool.

Broward County, Florida, February 16 — A 1-year-old girl was pronounced deceased after she was found unresponsive in the family's swimming pool when she got out of the home undetected.

Livonia, Michigan, February 18 —

A 4-year-old boy, found at the bottom of a hotel pool, was pronounced dead at the hospital.