Anyone with young children in their lives knows they are usually attracted to water. Whether it is a pool, the Gulf, or a lake in the neighborhood, kids love to have a closer look. That’s why it’s critical to protect them.
According to the NCH Safe and Healthy Children’s Coalition, drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-4 in Collier County,
Heather Mazurkiewicz is the public information and education officer for North Collier Fire District.
“For us as firefighters, emergency responders, water safety is extremely important. We want to be able to be a part of preventing these types of injuries and/ or death in children,” she said.
She went on to list the best guidelines to keep children safe near water.
“There are swimming lessons, that there are that no children are swimming unattended, that there's always a water watcher there, that when there are children, even if they are good swimmers, that if you're out on the water in a boat, they should be using Coast Guard approved life jackets. All of these things are ways to prevent drowning.”
For more resources, go to watersmartcollier.com.
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