Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez speaks on water safety importance at a news conference in Ormond Beach, June 5, 2024. (Screenshot from Nuñez’s X account)
Quality Journalism for Critical Times
Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez highlighted the importance of water safety for young Floridians and visitors — plus a new a state program that will pay for swimming lessons — during a news conference in Ormond Beach Wednesday.
The program takes effect on July 1, providing free swimming lessons to low-income families who have one or more children aged 4 or younger. The Department of Health is still developing eligibility for participants and vendors, according to the website watersmartfl.com.
The Legislature authorized the program during its regular session through Senate Bill 544.
“Drowning is preventable, and it is also the number-one cause of unintentional death of children ages 1-4, so that is something that both the governor and I are making sure that we tackle in every way that we can,” Nuñez said.
Among children ages 1-4, 61 died in 2022 from drowning or submersion, according to the health department. According to Nuñez, 46 children have died from drowning this year, mostly in swimming pools.
Nuñez included tips to avoid water deaths of children, such as supervising them while in bodies of water, including bathtubs; ensuring that pool barriers and gates meet state safety laws; following life jacket laws; and checking conditions before entering the water.
“Floridians and visitors alike can enjoy wonderful recreational opportunities and water-related activities throughout the day each and every day,” Nuñez said.
“But now, as we kick off summer, we expect that families will be flocking to opportunities to spend time at the beach, and we want to make sure that they do that in a way that is both safe and enjoyable.”
Watersmartfl.com includes residential pool safety laws and supervision and preparedness resources.
Danger to neurodivergent kids
Nuñez was joined by Shevaun Harris, secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families; Joseph Ladapo, the state surgeon general; Taylor Hatch, director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities; and other advocates for water safety.
The officials repeatedly stressed the importance of taking swimming lessons. The news conference was hosted at Aqua Journeys Swim School in Ormond Beach.
Children with autism are at a heightened risk of drowning, Hatch said, citing a tendency to wander and “the natural draw toward water due to its sensory impacts.” Children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from drowning, according to the Columbia Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention.
Hatch said structure and consistency are key to water safety, as well as making water safety a visual learning experience, especially for children with autism.
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