ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Even as summer winds down, Florida’s waters remain a constant presence, and a constant risk. Pools, retention ponds and the ocean are everywhere across the Sunshine State, and paramedics say parents should not let their guard down.
“It happens in a matter of seconds,” said Joshua Moore, a paramedic at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital.
According to Florida Health, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1–4, with home swimming pools being the most common location.
Moore encourages parents to take practical steps around the home to reduce the chances of a child reaching the water unsupervised.
“If you have a fence around your pool, [make] sure that the gate is always closed,” Moore said. “You can also set alarms on your sliding glass doors. If your kid goes out and you don’t realize it, it’ll kind of alarm you to let you know that your kid’s gone outside.”
The urgency was felt locally in early August, when a 7-year-old boy with autism was reported missing from his Northside Jacksonville home. He was later found dead in a pond, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The boy was non-verbal and had last been seen leaving his home in the early morning hours before being found near Seaside Charter School.
“You wanna make sure that you’re always keeping an eye on your kids,” Moore said.
Moore and other safety advocates point to swim lessons as one of the most effective long-term protections for young children.
Florida residents can now apply for eight free swimming lessons through the state’s Swimming Lesson Voucher program. Lawmakers recently expanded the eligible age range from children ages 0–4 to ages 1–7.
To qualify, a family’s gross income cannot exceed 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Applications are accepted until early September, or until funding runs dry.