Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Drowning can be prevented

Supervisor Jim Desmond

5th District

We are blessed to live in a region that borders the Pacific Ocean and also has many pools throughout the county. While they both can serve as wonderful activities for both adults and kids, they can also be dangerous.

Swimming is a life skill that is not easily accessible to all residents throughout our communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little-to-no swimming ability. In California, drowning is a leading cause of injury-related deaths among children under the age of 5.

Drownings are 100% preventable and swimming lessons make children water safe, reducing drownings by 88%. Last year, I initiated an action, to provide underserved children an opportunity to learn to swim and prevent drownings in all of San Diego County.

If your child needs swimming lessons, please reach out to the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego, http://preventdrowningfoundation.org/. They will be able to assist with whatever questions you have.

Addressing this disparity in our region will save lives and help address equity within our many communities by adding more opportunities for San Diego County children to learn basic drowning prevention skills.

I will keep you updated as we look for other ways to help prevent these tragedies from happening. As always if you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out, [email protected].

 

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