Water Safety Concerns In Florida Following 7 Child Drownings In 3 months

Seven children have drowned in Northeast Florida alone, since April.

With the Fourth of July holiday likely to have many families in the pool, local officials are reminding parents to be extra vigilant around the water.

According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, 9 children have drowned in the 20 counties in its Northeast Florida region, including Duval, Alachua and Volusia, so far in 2017.

Drowning has been the leading cause of child deaths in the state, and Florida has lost more children under the age of 5 to drowning than any other state in the nation, DCF said.

“Every child drowning is tragic, and each child drowning is preventable,” said Patricia Medlock, DCF Northeast Region managing director.  “There are simple steps that parents and caregivers can take to save their children’s lives.”

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