Drowning No. 1 cause of preventable death in young kids, Florida officials say

ORLANDO, Fla. – Drowning is the number one cause of preventable death in children ages one to four in Florida. Officials say it is often a silent danger.

“Drowning tends to be silent. There is no yelling, there is no screaming. There is very little splash,” said Orange County Assistant Fire Marshall Inez Pressler.

Two weeks ago, five-year-old Aaron Pena was reported missing from his home in Orlando. Shortly after, Orange County deputies said he wandered away from his backyard. They found him in a retention pond nearby.
Officials say he had autism and was non-verbal.

In May, an 18-month-old boy was pulled from a retention pond behind his Winter Park home. Police said his babysitter used the bathroom and lost track of the boy for just minutes.

“If your child is ever missing, or a child is missing, the first thing to do is look to these water hazards. Seconds make a difference,” said Pressler.

So far this year, Orange County Fire Rescue said there have been 34 calls involving drownings and near drownings in children under 15 – up from 30 calls in 2020, and 13 calls in 2021.

“Some of these are preventable and it just hurts my heart,” said Brent Moore, the executive director of Children’s Safety Village.

The Children’s Safety Village in Orlando teaches small children how to swim. Pressler works with the facility in hopes of bringing drowning calls down to zero.

Retention ponds, pools, lakes, and rivers are all dangers says Moore.

“With all the body of waters here in Central Florida, it’s really important for parents to get their children to learn how to save themselves if they fall in the water,” he said.

Experts say constant supervision, fencing, window and door alarms, and knowing CPR could make all the difference.