Florida Child Drowning Prevention: Sarasota Parent Guide

Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths among children under 5. In 2025, 119 children drowned across the state, with 76% aged 4 and younger. Boys drown nearly three times more often than girls.

Drowning happens silently and fast. A child can slip under water in seconds while an adult checks a phone or grabs a towel. Most deaths occur in residential pools, but any body of water poses a risk—toilets, buckets, pet bowls, hot tubs, even an inch of standing water in a cooler or fish tank.

Parents should maintain constant watch over children 5 and under near water. Keep toilet seats down and bathroom doors shut. Empty buckets, mop water, and blow-up pools immediately after use and turn them upside down. Install safety covers on spas and hot tubs. Use four-sided fencing at least 5 feet high around pools with self-closing gates.

Teach children to swim. Use Coast Guard-approved life jackets for boating. Designate a water watcher at gatherings. Dress children in bright swimsuits. Never let a young child in a pool without an adult.

Swimming lessons and life jackets do not make a child "water safe." Supervision cannot be replaced.

Manatee County Government offers free pool and water safety alarms to residents with children. Contact [email protected] or [email protected]. The Red Cross Water Safety program and Safe Kids Florida also offer resources.