Toddler Drownings Spike On LI; County Takes Action: 'Life And Death'

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — As Suffolk County sees a rise in the number of deaths from swimming pool drownings, this week, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine urged parents to follow prevailing safety standards around swimming pools.

Suffolk County even sent out an alert on smartphones Tuesday, linking to water and pool safety tips.

"Please take some time this season to learn about pool safety," said Romaine. "It could mean the difference between life and death."

There has been a spike in pool incidents on Long Island this season; over the holiday weekend, there were two additional toddlers found unresponsive in Suffolk County, both in North Haven and in Deer Park.

Romaine directed residents to statistics on stopdrowingingnow.com that said:

• 88 percent of drownings occur with at least one adult present.
• 3,500 will die as a result of drowning this year.
• Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental deaths for children between the ages of 1 to 4 years old.

According to Romaine, to help reduce those numbers, the American Red Cross recommends:

• Always keeping an eye on children in the pool.
• Staying within arm’s reach of younger children.
• Installing a primary barrier and/or secondary barrier to prevent entry to the pool.
• Removing the ladder for an above ground pool when not in use.
• Enforcing safety standards, such as no running around the pool; only diving where appropriate; swimming with a buddy; and swimming sober.

Suffolk County provides CRP lessons to those interested; to schedule, contact 631-852-5080 for additional information.