Osceola County Fire Rescue is urging local parents to improve swimming and pool safety pool in light of two separate child drowning calls received within a matter of hours of each other on Thursday.
According to OCFR, on Thursday, June 2, department personnel responded to two separate child drowning calls with multiple units, including the department’s helicopter-based Air Care Team.
“We continue to urge parents to follow the ABCs of swim safety and to always be cautious and attentive when children are around water,” reads a social media post from OCFR. The ABCs stand for “Adult Supervision,” “Barriers,” and “Classes.”
In 2021, approximately 90 calls were received by OCFR regarding drownings. Of those, more than 80 involved children, and the majority involved children visiting Osceola County from elsewhere in the state, nation, or internationally, according OCFR’s website.
According to national records, Florida has the highest unintentional drowning death rate among children ages 1 to 4 in the United States. That rate equates to 6.29 drowning deaths per 100,000 population.
For more information or to read about swim safety tips, visit the Osceola Fire Rescue Swim Safety webpage.