TAMPA, Fla. — That backyard pool sounds pretty good on a hot day, but don't forget it can be deadly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says drowning is the top cause of death for children ages 1-4 in the state of Florida and pools, in particular, are a major concern.
Analysts at QuoteWizard crunched the numbers for the last three years and it shows more than 410 people have drowned in Florida pools. Nearly half of those were children. To break it down further, there were 156 fatal drownings of kids under the age of 5, and 24 were kids between the ages of 5 and 14.
Just last year, Florida reported a record number of children drowning, with 98 losing their lives, according to data from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
One reason our numbers are so high is likely because of the sheer number of residential pools because it is warm here year round. But more than that, analyst Nick VinZant says Florida stands out.
"What's concerning about Florida is the number of pool drownings are so much higher than other similar size states like Texas and California that have had around 200-300 pool-related fatalities, while Florida has had more than 400," VinZant said.
Florida law requires all pools built after 2000 to have a pool barrier or fence around them. But if you have children, it is recommended that you have layers of protection. In addition to the fence, consider childproof locks or alarms on windows and doors that lead to the pool.
The single biggest thing you can do to ensure children are safe in the pool is to assign someone to watch them when they are swimming, especially if there is a party or group of people there.