Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on Saturday, July 25, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescure department is pressing families to tighten their safety habits around every body of water, from condo pools to the ocean off Sunny Isles.
The local risk
Miami-Dade County leads the state in total drowning fatalities, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. The county is also the state's most populous, but the agency says the concentration of pools and year-round swimming weather compounds the danger. The Florida Department of Health ranks Florida fifth nationally for drowning deaths, well above the national average. In 2023, more than 500 Floridians died from unintentional drowning, the state health department reported.
For young children, the danger is concentrated at home. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for Florida children ages 1 to 4, according to the Florida Department of Health. Home swimming pools account for most of those deaths, while natural bodies of water such as the ocean and canals cause more drowning deaths among older children and adults.
It takes only inches of water for a small child to drown.
What the department wants you to do
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue posted a safety checklist on its verified X account (@MiamiDadeFire) on Friday, July 10. The guidance:
- Never leave a child unattended around a pool, spa, bathtub, or any body of water. Designate a "water watcher" whose only job is watching the kids.
- Teach children to swim. The Florida Department of Health offers a Swimming Lessons Voucher Program providing free lessons to eligible families.
- Don't rely on flotation devices as a substitute for active adult supervision.
- Install barriers if you own a pool: four-sided isolation fences with self-closing, self-latching gates, and lockable covers to block unsupervised access.
- Know your limits at the beach. Surf conditions are the biggest safety challenge on the sand, and swimmers should honestly assess their abilities and those of their companions, especially children.
"Drowning is a leading cause of death for children in the United States and can happen in seconds," Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said on X. "Help prevent a tragedy by teaching children to swim, never leaving them unattended around water, designating a water watcher, and not relying on flotation devices."
How to prepare
Saturday, July 25 is World Drowning Prevention Day, established by the United Nations in 2021. The 2026 theme is "Unite to Turn the Tide." The observance falls on a summer weekend when pools and beaches across the Aventura area will be packed.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's drowning prevention resources are available in English, Spanish, and Creole at miamidade.gov/global/fire/safety-drowning-prevention.page.
Upcoming
- Saturday, July 25 — World Drowning Prevention Day. Check pool barriers, designate a water watcher, and visit miamidade.gov for safety resources in English, Spanish, and Creole.
