CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- Cape Coral officials gathered at the Cape Coral Yacht Club, Saturday, to teach the community about water safety.
The Cape Coral Police Department, Fire Department, and Parks and Rec got together for the 5th Annual Cape Coral water safety day, where they taught parents about the ABC's to remember this summer -- adult supervision, barriers, and CPR classes. "It's actually known as the silent killer," said Andrea Schuch, with the Cape Coral Fire Department. "It can happen very fast, there's not a lot of noise, so if you turn away for even a moment, a child could be drowning."
According to CCFD, most drownings occur within ten feet of safety, with Florida being the number one state in the nation for drowning. Lee County ranks as number three in the state for drowning. Officials stressed to parents how important it is to supervise their kids when they're anywhere near water, giving out "water watcher cards." "You give them to adults, and those adults are responsible for watching the children in the pool," said Schuch. "They're not on their phones, they're not eating, not talking to their friends."
Barriers are also critical to keeping your child out the pool when you're not watching. CCFD recommends alarms on doors and windows. "We're doing swim lessons right now, so she sees the water, she wants to get in the water," said Jeanette, the mother of an 8-month-old.
The city also gave CPR demonstrations and emphasized how important it is to know CPR. "If for some reason, your child did end up in the pool, you're able to perform CPR, which will greatly increase their chance of survival while you're waiting for first responders," said Schuch.
Cape Coral offers CPR classes monthly. Residents can register at www.CapeCoral.net.
