With summer in full swing and temperatures over 100 degrees, many families are spending time in area pools, but health officials say more precautions should be taken with pediatric drownings on pace to top deaths in 2022.
In 2022, the state of Texas recorded 76 drowning deaths of children under 18 according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. As of July 13, 37 children have drowned in the state.
Topping the list with the most deaths in 2023 so far is Harris County with eight. Montgomery and Galveston counties have recorded two deaths each with Fort Bend reporting one death.
Over the past five years, Montgomery County has logged 10 deaths, two each year.
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“We are trending a little ahead of schedule for the year which is concerning,” said Sean Simmonds, safety and emergency preparedness manager with the Montgomery County Hospital District. “We have already had two this year.”
Most drownings occur in outdoor bodies of water including pools, Simmons said. Of the eight deaths this year in Harris County, six have been in pools, and both drownings in Montgomery County were in pools.
Increased access to pools an issue
Increasing the risk is the growing availability of rental pools, homes with pools and even inflatable pools.
“Not having the muscle memory and the education of owning a pool can increase your vulnerability of having a water incident,” Simmons said. “The more bodies of water, the greater the risk, and in the summer parents are looking for family activities outdoors where they can experience these (water) activities together.”
Earlier this month, 4-year-old Asher Rayburn was found unresponsive in the pool at Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston. Asher was staying at the hotel with his family when he drowned in the pool around 9:30 p.m. July 1. Authorities were called and CPR was performed onsite before the child was taken by ambulance to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he died the following day.
Aside from outdoor swimming, Simmons said parents and guardians need to be aware of the drowning risks with bathtubs, buckets and even toilets. Children can drown in just two inches of water, he said.
“Little ones just starting to walk can find themselves in situations where they can not correct themselves,” Simmons said.
Children with special needs, including autism, are at increased risk. According to the National Autism Association, accidental drowning accounts for 91 percent of deaths reported in children with autism who are 14 years old and younger.
“Clinicians have program treatment plans for safety risks and elopement, or wandering from caregivers, but don’t go into what happens if a child falls into a pond, for example — the survival part,” said Heather McCrackin, a nurse who attended the Cizik School of Nursing at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and created an Autism Drowning Prevention Resource Kit.
The kit for parents provides a list of critical resources, including physical barriers such as stop signs, pool nets, pool fences, and water surface sensors, according to UTHealth Houston. There is information on foundations that provide swim lesson scholarships for families, GPS tracker systems, law enforcement programs and community partners who provide CPR training. The kit also includes a discount code for sensory-friendly goggles.
Taking precautions
Simmons said there are ways to help keep children safe including enrolling them in swim lessons and always having a water watcher.
Water watchers, Simmons said, should always be an adult. Never leave children unattended. It’s also critical that a water watcher knows CPR, he said.
“It’s easy to become lax,” Simmons said.
Simmons warned against using pool toys as floatation devices for those who cannot swim.
“It’s extremely important that you never substitute a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for any type of pool toy,” Simmons said. “They are just what they are names, they are toys. They can be hazards and give someone a false sense of security.”
