Drownings in Florida have increased substantially with 98 children drowning in 2021, and children 3 and under represent 66% of those fatalities. The Florida Department of Children and Families statewide results show the importance of water safety education not only to our children but to all caregivers, in our homes, while on vacation, and the people we let watch our children. When reviewing the reports many of the instances happen when a child gets out of the home undetected and gained access to a body of water. A child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Be an advocate for barriers and put layers of protection and place guards around water access such as fencing, door chimes, motion detection, alarms, etc. Enroll your child in formal swim lessons as this has been proven to decrease chances of drowning by 88%. Learn about the proper ways to be a “water watcher” – watch children in the pool, never walk away and leave them unattended, regularly scan the bottom of the pool, avoid poolside chat, no phones or distractions. Drowning is preventable with constant supervision and simple steps to save lives.
Every caregiver needs to know that it can happen to anyone and how to put a ring of safety around our children.
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supervision
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barriers (pool fences, chimes, alarms)
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swim lessons
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cpr and first aid training
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water safety education