Florida has recorded 74 child drownings statewide in 2026, including 15 in South Florida, and advocates warn the state is on pace to match or exceed last year's record death toll.
Ana Nguyen knows the weight of each number. She lost her 12-year-old daughter, Jenny Hong Nguyen, at a pool party in 2011. Jenny never learned to swim. In 2013, Nguyen started the Swim for Jenny program with the YMCA of South Florida, offering free swim lessons each year to anyone ages 6 months to adult. The program has since reached more than 25,000 people and provided over 100,000 lessons across Broward County.
"I never imagined that waiting a few weeks would mean losing my child forever," Nguyen said at a press conference in Fort Lauderdale on July 23, where she was joined by representatives from Nicklaus Children's Health System, Broward Health and the YMCA of South Florida.
If the current pace continues, the state could surpass 2025's total of 119 child drownings, which the Miami Herald reported would make it the deadliest year for child drownings in state records.
Toddlers face the highest risk
Miami-Dade and Broward counties have among the highest rates of child drowning in the country, according to the YMCA of South Florida. Nearly 80% of the children who drowned statewide in 2025 were under age 3, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families' water safety data. For the youngest children, health officials at the press conference emphasized barriers, pool alarms and constant adult supervision alongside early water exposure.
Formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%, according to the YMCA of South Florida.
Free lessons within reach of Aventura families
The closest Swim for Jenny location to Aventura is the Hallandale Beach YMCA Family Center, roughly five miles south. Year-round swim lessons are also available at the Greater Hollywood YMCA, L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center in Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines YMCA Aquatic Center and Weston YMCA.
How to sign up
The next annual Swim for Jenny free-lesson week is scheduled for March 2027 at all five Broward County YMCA locations. Families who want lessons before then can register for year-round classes at ymcasouthflorida.org/swim-for-jenny or by calling 954-334-9622. The Hallandale Beach YMCA can be reached directly at 954-889-9622.
Other safety steps recommended at the press conference: life jackets for weak swimmers, CPR training for caregivers, and pool fences, covers and alarms to prevent unsupervised access.
Nguyen urged parents not to delay. She had planned to enroll Jenny and her brother in lessons before the drowning happened. Every week counts.
