07/10/2026
Florida is experiencing a record-breaking year for child drownings. Seventy-two children have already lost their lives, and every one of those tragedies was someone’s son, daughter, grandchild, or friend. We cannot accept this as normal. Water safety starts with layers of protection: supervision, barriers, early survival swim lessons, and CPR. Together, we can change this trend and save lives. 💙
😳😞 Since the 4th of July, 10 children have died in the state of Florida from drowning. And now we are up to 72 children who are gone and whose families and communities are devastated.
If you live in Florida, you probably have some type of body of water within 100 yards of your home. It could be the pool in your backyard, your neighbor’s backyard, a canal across the street or a lake or pond in the neighborhood. - and of course, everyone has a bathtub.
- DO NOT underestimate your child to figure out how to get out of the house, no matter how old they are and how confident you are that they can’t figure it out.
- Make sure to have ALARMS ON DOORS that are turned ON and that your gates are LOCKED.
- Always assign a WATER WATCHER. Every year we lose children while adults are standing around the pool, but not paying attention to the kids in the water. 35+% of individuals with autism have epilepsy. Their very first seizure could happen while they’re in the water.
- Make swim lessons a PRIORITY.
- Learn CPR and have an emergency checklist on your refrigerator. If a crisis occurs, you won’t remember what you need to do so a checklist is of utmost importance. 
- For children who have a tendency to wander, research and consider personal tracking devices. 
Take valuable steps to ensure that you don’t become a parent who says, “I never thought it could happen to me.”
