‘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.
Escambia County, Florida, April 7 —
A 1 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased 12 days after she was found unresponsive in the swimming pool of a friend's home where the mother and child were visiting from out of state. The child was able to get out of the residence undetected as the mother was packing to return home.
Collier County, Florida, April 9 — A 1/ 2- year- old child was pronounced deceased after she was found unresponsive in the swimming pool when she got out of the home undetected.
Osceola County, Florida, April 11 —
A 7-year-old was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the relative's swimming pool when he got out of the home undetected while the family was visiting from another state.
Greenwood, Arkansas, April 11 —
A child drowned in a residential pool. No other information was released.
New Iberia, Louisiana, April 14 —
A 3-year-old boy drowned in a Ramada Inn swimming pool.
Columbia County, Florida, April 16 —
A 4 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the swimming pool when he gained access to the water undetected while playing outside with other children.
Orange County, Florida, April 17 —
A 7-year-old child was pronounced deceased 7 days after he was found unresponsive while at a community swimming pool with friends.
Montgomery County, Maryland, April 18 —
A 3-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the hospital after drowning in a residential pool.
Orange County, Florida, April 18 —
A 5 1/ 2– year- old child was pronounced deceased after she was found unresponsive in a community swimming pool.
Putnam County, Florida, April 21 —
A 1 1/ 2– year-old was pronounced deceased after he was found unresponsive in the swimming pool when he got out of the home undetected while extended family members were watching him as the parents were at work.
