ST PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drowning is the No. 1 killer of children ages 1-4 in Florida, and the state consistently leads the country in drowning deaths among kids.
With school about to let out and public pools preparing to open, water safety advocates are urging parents and caregivers to prepare now.
Shakilya Lewis knows the danger firsthand. Her son BJ was just 3 years old when he jumped into a pool and couldn't get out on his own.
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"He was in the water for about 4 to 7 minutes, treading water, trying to get back to the wall. His uncle found him, pulled him out. He began CPR," Lewis said.
BJ survived, but he is now non-verbal and cannot walk or eat on his own. Lewis said the family has not let that stop them from doing what BJ loves.
"It's hard, but you know you do the best you can, and you take — we take good care of him," Lewis said.
Lewis said one of the factors that contributed to the incident was a lack of safety barriers at the home.
"He was able to open the door. There were no locks. There were no alarms on the doors. There's no fence around the pool," Lewis said.
BJ's story reflects a broader and persistent problem in Florida. Data from the CDC shows a spike in drowning incidents during summer months, which is why May is designated as National Water Safety Month.
In Pinellas County, the numbers underscore the urgency.
"In 2025, there were 25 pediatric submersions and sadly, 3 pediatric drowning fatalities," St. Petersburg Fire Chief Keith Watts said at a recent press conference.
Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, said one of the most dangerous aspects of child drowning is how silently it happens.
"Kids go underwater, and they no longer make a sound, and you don't have any notice or trigger that there's something going on," Martin said.
Martin said parents and caregivers can take several steps to reduce the risk, including installing locks and alarms on doors leading to pools, putting up fences around pools that small children cannot open on their own, and enrolling children in swim lessons. But she said the single most important thing any adult can do is learn CPR.
"CPR CPR CPR. That's get on the chest, start compressions, do CPR, even if you're not sure, just do it. If they're talking to you and they're moving, you can stop, but otherwise do CPR," Martin said.
For families in St. Petersburg, registration for Parks and Recreation swim lessons can be found here.
Public pools open Memorial Day weekend, and swim lessons begin June 1.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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