Dallas Police say that a 4-year-old drowned in a home pool on Saturday afternoon.
Officers responded to the home on Myerwood Lane at around 3 p.m., where they pulled the child from the pool and began CPR. The 4-year-old was taken to a hospital but unfortunately did not survive.
According to Cook Children’s Hospital, seventeen drownings have been brought to the hospital this year. Three of the drownings, the hospital said, are fatal cases.
In light of the concerning number of recent cases, authorities warned of an increase in drowning risk as summer approaches. With the warm weather in summer comes more outings in pools and on North Texas lakes.
Cook Children’s Hospital also said that many child drownings happen when parents do not expect children to be in or around water.
The Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition’s president, Cory Stuhmer, urges people to be careful.
“Any amount of time with a child in or around water is too long to turn your back on them,” he said.
Stuhmer advises parents and guardians to take supervision seriously and never allow young children to be near a pool if they are unaccompanied. He also recommends using life jackets, locking doors, and maintaining barriers around home pools.
Further, Stuhmer suggested that kids learn self-rescue tips before taking swimming lessons. Learning to back float and knowing how to get out of the pool are beneficial tips that could help keep a child safe.
Naturally occurring bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and beaches are more likely to be the site of drowning incidents than backyard pools, Stuhmer said; he stressed the importance of safety gear like life jackets.
The Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition holds events to prevent drowning every summer. More information on their events is available here.