Two drownings in Naples: Prevention advocates speak out about safety.

Two drownings recently in Collier County prompted a child safety coalition to offer a heartfelt reminder: Drowning is entirely preventable with what’s called “layers of protection.”

“Drowning is fast and silent, and it can occur in under a minute,” Dr. Debbie Shepard, a longtime pediatrician in Naples, said Friday.

Officials with the 70-member NCH Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition held a press conference at NCH North Hospital to remind the community that preventing drowning takes a community and that families need to take advantage of a multitude of tools to keep their children safe.

Water safety and swim lessons should start at an early age, barriers are essential around home pools, and learning CPR is critical.

The coalition was formed in 2010 to foster programs to prevent drownings, child obesity and sudden infant death and to address other health and safety issues involving children.

The two drownings in Collier involved a 6-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man in separate incidences.

Genesis Abigail Peneda, 6, of Lenoir City, Tennessee, jumped into one of the pools at an Ave Maria complex and submerged on June 1. A man tried to rescue her but told authorities she was lifeless, according to an incident report.

More: 6-year-old dead minute after jumping into pool at Ave Maria Water Park, sheriff's office says

The other drowning victim was Ali Asif, who tried to pull his 4-year-old daughter from the water at Magnolia Pond Circle on May 23. The girl survived but the father did not know how to swim, witnesses told authorities.

More: Man drowns, child survives at pond near Everly Apartments in Naples, Collier sheriff says

Capt. James Cunningham, of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, spoke about the tragedy of the two deaths and three other incidents of near drownings recently.

“The community as a whole has really felt the impact of what has happened because so many people were there, physically present when the actual event happened, where they stepped in to do CPR, or whether they tried to be the one to call 911 and get other resources,” he said.

Collier had seen a significant drop in the number of pediatric drownings in recent years but the two drownings “is a reminder that we still have much more work to be done,” he said.

“We can and will be a water safer community,” Cunningham said.

Drowning is the leading cause of death of children ages 1 to 4 in Collier County and in Florida, according to the coalition.

In Southwest Florida, Collier had seven drownings among all ages in 2022 and Lee County had 24, and the statewide toll was 464, according to the state Department of Health. As of earlier this week, Florida has had 47 drownings so far this year but the DOH website was updated late Friday to 49.

“Children ages 1 to 4 are more likely to drown in a swimming pool than children ages five to 19,” Kristine Hollingsworth, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health in Collier, said.

“Drowning is 100% preventable. Always keep your eyes on children in and around the water, this includes pools and open bodies of water,” she said.

How the Collier County School District is helping

The Collier County School District addresses water safety topics through health education, physical education and through other avenues, said Tracey Bowen, coordinator of health & physical education with the district.

For instance, students in physical education receive training in CPR how to use an automatic external defibrillator and in first aid.

“(The Collier school) district is in its second year in a row for receiving the Red Cross award for the highest number of student CPR certifications in the state,” she said.

The district also has a robust interactive water safety webpage for families, she said.

“We alternate water and fire safety education, including responding to emergencies for at least the last eight years of the middle and high school unified champion field days,” she said.

What are the layers of protection?

Supervise – Never take your eyes off children in and around water. There is no substitute for active supervision.

Use barriers – Fences, self-closing/self-latching gates and secured doors with alarms can prevent young children from wandering into the pool/canal/lake/pond.

Use alarms – FREE alarms are possible thanks to a donation from Kiwanis Club of Greater Collier.

Learn to swim – To stay safer in the water, all family members should learn to swim well. Teach children NEVER SWIM ALONE, an ADULT MUST watch them in the pool/canal/lake.

Know how to respond – Get training in basic water rescue skills, first aid and CPR. Have rescue equipment and a phone by the pool.

For more local water safety please go to WaterSmartCollier.org

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: 2 drownings in Collier add to toll in Florida of nearly 50 in 2024 so far