After several incidents of drownings and near-drownings in South Florida, officials on Wednesday discussed ways to prevent those tragedies from happening.
A press conference hosted by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, FAU Card Executive Director Jack Scott and several other leaders was held at the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center at 10 a.m.
Ana Nguyen, who lost her 12-year-old daughter at a birthday party in 2011, spoke at the press conference.
Her daughter, Jenny Nguyen, didn’t know how to swim, and following her death, the YMCA of South Florida now offers a free swim program called “Swim for Jenny.”
Doctors called taking swimming lessons a life skill.
They said every child should learn how to swim as early as possible, and adults should know CPR, because those first few minutes can make all the difference.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn how to swim,” Trantalis said.
On Monday, a 4-year-old boy was taken to the hospital in critical condition after nearly drowning in Plantation.
A week ago, a 2-year-old nearly drowned in North Lauderdale.
Before that, a 2-year-old boy died after he was found in a lake in Plantation.
Last month, a 14-year-old boy drowned while swimming in a lake near North Redland Road and Northwest 12th Street. Marcus Sanders’ family is now suing three corporations, alleging the property owners failed to properly secure and maintain the area where the tragedy happened.
Following these incidents, doctors and others are sounding the alarm and want more families to be prepared.
According to the Florida Department of Health, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4 in the state.
Experts suggest a multifaceted approach to drowning prevention and water safety, including “layers of protection.” These include:
- supervision by an adult
- barriers that physically block a child from accessing bodies of water, such as fences, walls or door handles placed high so a child cannot reach
- alarms that alert when a child has opened a door
- preparedness for both kids and adults, including swim lessons from young ages and CPR training
For more on how to stay safe in the water with children, go here.