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Summer is here and the weather is getting warmer in South Louisiana and that can only mean one thing… we will be swimming and getting into the water a lot more in the next coming weeks.

While spending time at the pool sounds wonderful it can be a very dangerous thing when it comes to children and safety.

Since May is national water safety month the Louisiana Department of Health has issued a warning to parents and families to stay aware of the many precautions they can take to prevent child drownings.

Did you know that drowning was the third leading cause of injury-related death in children ages 0-14 in Louisiana from 2018 to 2019? As a mother, I wish I could say that this statistic isn’t true but it is.

According to LDH data, the number of child drownings in Louisiana was decreasing however 2020 was one of the deadliest years in Louisiana when it came to drownings.

Louisiana experienced a 60% increase in the number of infant and child drownings (ages 0-14), from 15 in 2019 to 24 in 2020. According to preliminary LDH data, in 2021, 25 infants and children in Louisiana drowned.

“Tragically, the number of children in Louisiana we have lost to drowning continues to increase," said State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter. "I urge everyone to follow a few simple, but critical steps to keep you and your children safe around the water we all love to enjoy.”

LDH published a list of several precautions families can take to prevent drownings:

One local Acadiana family is also doing everything can to advocate for water safety so that families don’t have to endure the pain that they are going through.

If you don’t know the story about Mazie then I would suggest grabbing a tissue and taking a peek at their website. While it is a very sad and emotional story about losing a child to a water accident it also provides awareness of this subject.

Mazie’s Mission is also offering parents some tips for water safety:

For more information on how to prevent drownings or more tips for water safety you can visit these sites below: