There's nothing more important than the safety and well being of our children. We all want to do all we can to protect children from accidental injury, or worse, a tragic loss of life. Summer should be a time for fun. But each year in Texas, we are faced with a growing number of accidental child deaths, all of which could have been prevented. During 2008, 81 Texas children drowned. In addition during 2008, Texas led the nation with nine hot car child deaths. None of these children would have died if their adult caregivers had been vigilant when it comes to children and safety around water or in cars.
     Last week, Texas State Senator Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, called on parents and caregivers to watch children closely around pools this summer, which is on path to become the state's deadliest for deaths by drowning in swimming pools. “As Texans turn to pools and lakes for relief from the summer heat, these tragedies are unfortunately becoming more frequent,” Senator Nelson said. “In order to save children from harm, we are urging adults to be as vigilant as possible."

     According to the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (TDFPS), 77 children under 18 have drowned this year.  Most of the drowning deaths have been in residential pools, both in-ground and above-ground, and most of the children have been toddlers. Anne Heiligenstein, Commissioner of TDFPS, said, “As the agency charged with protecting the unprotected, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services urges all parents and caregivers to remember to ‘see and save’ their children, where they are near water or in unattended vehicles.” The commissioner added, “It's hard to imagine having to warn parents or caregivers about leaving children alone in cars, especially during the heat of the summer. But many caring and responsible people can forget the silent or sleeping child in the backseat. Others do not realize the risks involved in leaving their children in the car and what begins as a quick errand can turn to tragedy in a matter of minutes. If children are trapped inside cars, especially during seriously hot weather, it can result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke, leading to permanent disability or death.”

     Federal statistics show that most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home and had been out of sight for less than five minutes. State health officials are worried this could be the deadliest summer on record for drowning tragedies, surpassing the 81 deaths that occurred in 2008. June 2009 was the worst month for child drowning fatalities since Texas began counting the deaths in 2005, with 30 children losing their lives around the state.  Senator Nelson offered the following tips to keep youngsters safe:

• Never take your eyes off children playing around or in a pool and avoid distractions like reading or talking on the phone.
• Use approved life jackets and teach children how to swim and float on their backs.
• Keep doors locked and install pool fences with self-closing and latching gates. Water surface alarms also are recommended.
• Learn CPR. Quick resuscitation can help a drowning victim survive and avoid brain damage.
• Store water toys away from the pool when they are not in use.
• Know if your child’s friends have home pools.

Additional information is available at www.dfps.state.tx.us/seeandsave.

SENATOR JANE NELSON represents District 12, including portions of Tarrant and Denton Counties.  She is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services.