FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fewer kids took swimming lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic which has put them at risk, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. As families return to community pools and warm-weather activities, CPSC officials are urging parents to take water safety seriously. “As we enter the summer months, parents and caregivers must be mindful of the pandemic’s impact on their children’s swimming ability and water safety skills,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Robert Adler. “With fewer children attending swimming lessons during the past year, it is critical to refresh...
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. [AP] – Bystanders saved a man from drowning at a Florida beach on Sunday, authorities said. The 22-year-old man went into the water alone on Daytona Beach before the lifeguard tower opened, according to Capt. A.J. Miller, a spokesman for Volusia County Beach Safety. “After struggling in the surf, witnesses stated they observed him go under the water,” Miller said in a statement given to the Orlando Sentinel. Bystanders carried the man to the beach and gave him CPR before paramedics arrive on scene and transported him to the hospital. “He is alive at this time,” Miller...
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — May is National Water Safety Month and parents are taking steps to prevent drowning deaths in Florida. Bret Croft’s two-year-old son practices survival through Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) for 10 minutes a day. “What we call it is a sequence, swim-float swim,” Instructor Judy Fernandez said. “So in the event, God forbid, he were to fall in, he would know how to save himself and hopefully get himself out.” His lessons with Fernandez help him learn what to do in an emergency. Croft said it brings him peace of mind. “It’s...
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A 2-year-old died four days after he was found floating facedown in his family’s swimming pool in Cape Coral on May 7, officials said. An investigation report from the Cape Coral Police Department recounts the day where the toddler got out of the house and drowned in the pool. His parent told investigators that the 2-year-old was eating a hot dog and grapes and asked to go swimming on Friday night. They told the boy no and said that he needed to finish eating his dinner. The boy’s parents went into different rooms and left the boy unattended at the dinner...