Drowning-related emergency calls are surging ahead of normal for the pool season this year, and Johnson County MED-ACT is urging families to be vigilant with their kids around the water.
Since outdoor pool season opened Memorial Day weekend through July 1, there have been 11 drowning-related calls to the ambulance service, said Capt. Joe Folsom, public information officer.
That’s nearly double the number of calls that would be typical for this time of year. Folsom said the service has never had more than six drowning-related calls for the same time period since 2019.
One of those calls resulted in a fatality. The others were transported to hospitals, with three in critical condition, he said. There was no update available on them.
The calls were taken from throughout the county and from all types of pools including a city aquatic center, neighborhood homeowners association, backyard and apartment complex pools, he said. All 11 calls involved children, with an age range from 2 to 17 years old.
Since MED-ACT doesn’t investigate the circumstances that led to the calls, Folsom said he could not identify any common thread, and he did not have any theories about what could be driving the increase. “I’ve thought about it long and hard and I can’t figure out why this is happening,” he said.
Water safety tips
So the responders addressed it this week by cautioning parents to take particular care when kids are around the water. Especially in private pools, where no lifeguards are present, it’s important to make sure children are always within view and that small children are within arm’s reach. Non-swimmers also ought to be wearing life jackets, he said.
Besides careful supervision of children — even those who know how to swim — the emergency responders advised parents to:
- Install barriers around pools like fences with self-latching gates
- Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
- Keep safety equipment like life rings and phones handy
- Avoid getting caught up in distractions like phones and books
- Teach kids to swim
Make sure pool drains are covered and meet federal safety standards
The service also posted more detailed tips on its Facebook page.
Folsom noted that drowning is the number-one cause of preventable death in children ages 1 to 4. Acting Battalion Chief Drew Hysell said, “With a little awareness and preparation, we can all help prevent drowning and make pool time safe for everyone.”
