CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Beach and pool season is here, and new data suggests the dangers for children around water are greater than ever.
Alex Hoehn-Saric, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), told WBBM about the release of the CPSC's latest annual drowning and submersion report.
“Drownings continue to be the No. 1 cause of death for children 1–4 years old,” he said. “Nearly 400 kids, on average, drown each year. That’s not to even mention the 3,600 trips to the emergency room for non-fatal drownings.”
Chezik Tsunoda knows the tragedy that can quickly and easily occur with children in the water.
“My son … was 3 years old when he drowned in a backyard pool,” she said.
That was in 2018. Since then, she's become a fierce advocate to prevent drowning deaths in children.
She runs an organization called “No More Under” and said the solutions are all around us.
“Swimming should be something that everyone has access to, and we’re finding that that is not the case,” Tsunoda said. “So, if that is something that we could work into our curriculum, as well as … in [physical education], it would really make a huge difference.”
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