>> THAT IS JUST MIND-BOGGLING WHEN YOU PUT THAT STATISTIC OUT THERE.
THAT ONE TO FOUR YEARS OLD THE
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS
DROWNING IN IT SO PREVENTABLE.
IT JUST IS.
>> THAT IS ORANGE COUNTY FIRE
RESCUE DIVISION CHIEF DAVID.
SPEAKING TO NEWS 6 YESTERDAY.
EARLIER IN THE DAY THE CREWS
PULLED A ONE-YEAR-OLD TODDLER
FROM THE BACKYARD.
>> THE GIRLS RECOVERING THIS
MORNING BUT THE NEAR DROWNING
AS A STARK REMINDER ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF WATER SAFETY.
>> AS FLORIDIANS WE ARE
PRIVILEGED WITH THE POOL
YEAR-ROUND IN THE HARD TRUTH IS
STATE LEADS THE NATION IN CHILD
TRONICS.
THAT IS WHY LOCAL LEADERS AND
EXPERTS WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY
ARE GETTING RESULTS.
>> AND HERE WITH US TODAY IS
TONY CARUSO PRESIDENT OF FS PA
CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER.
IN HALL OF FAME SWIMMER AND
THREE-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD
MEDALIST ROWDY GAINES.
GENTLEMEN THANK YOU FOR COMING
BY AND AGAIN WE KNOW THIS IS AN
ISSUE VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO
YOUR HEART.
AND TELL US WHY YOU WERE
INVOLVED WITH THIS AND WHAT
CAUSED YOU TO GET INVOLVED WITH
THIS.
>> I THINK FOR ME A FLORIDIAN
THIRD-GENERATION.
FLORIDA HAS BEEN PART OF MY
LIFE IN WATER AS PART OF THE
FABRIC OF WHO WE ARE AS A
COMMUNITY.
IF WE WERE LIVING IN MONTANA
BUT NOT HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT DROWNING IS AN EPIDEMIC.
AND THE TRAGIC THING ABOUT THAT
HAS A POSITIVE SIDE IN THE FACT
THAT WE HAVE FOUND THE CURE AND
THE CURE ARE LITERALLY TWO
WORDS.
SWIM LESSONS.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING I
REALLY WANT TO TRY TO GET OUT
TO THE PUBLIC IS PLEASE PUT
YOUR CHILD IN SWIM LESSONS.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SOMETHING
THAT WAS A NEAR TRAGEDY, THE
PARENT HAS TO BE THE FIRST LINE
OF DEFENSE EVEN THOUGH YOU WANT
TO PUT YOUR CHILD IN SWIM
LESSONS.
>> YOU THINK ABOUT SWIM LESSONS
TOO, AS A PARENT IT IS AN
INVESTMENT A LOT OF TIMES.
THE YMCA IS OFFERING SOME FREE
OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP KIDS GET
WATER SAVED.
>> YES, THAT IS ANOTHER GREAT
THING ABOUT WORKING FOR THE
YMCA ASSOCIATION IN CENTRAL
FLORIDA IS THE FACT TO BE A
FREE WATER SAFETY ACTIVITIES
THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MAY WHICH
IS NATIONAL DROWNING PREVENTION
MONTH ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AS WE HEAD INTO THE SUMMER,
OBVIOUSLY.
AND AT THE VERY END OF MAY, MAY
28 THROUGH THE 31ST AT SELECT
YMCAS WE WILL HAVE FREE
DROWNING PREVENTION LESSONS.
YOU ONLY HAVE TO GO TO YMCA,
CF.ORG TO FIND OUT MORE
INFORMATION OR GO TO YOUR LOCAL
YMCA AND WILL GIVE YOU LOTS OF
INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO KEEP
SAFE OR UNDERWATER.
UNFORTUNATELY, TONY AND FS PA
HAS DONATED TO THE CAUSE OF
THAT.
AND TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT AND
IMPACT MORE CHILDREN AND MORE
FAMILIES.
>> TONY, YOU HEAR PARENT
SOMETIMES SAY I KNEW HOW TO
SWIM WHEN I WAS LITTLE SO I CAN
TEACH MY KID HOW TO SWIM.
I DON’T REALLY NEED THE
BARRIERS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PARENTS WHO
THINK THIS CANNOT HAPPEN TO
THEM?
>> ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
IN TODAY’S SOCIETY WE ARE VERY
COMPLACENT ABOUT WHAT WE NEED
TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
FOR INSTANCE WE HAVE THE 3G’S.
MY ASSOCIATION HAS 3G’S.
GRADES AND GATES AND GROUNDS.
IF YOUR POOL DOES NOT HAVE A
MAIN DRAIN COVERAGE NOT SO
LIMITED.
IF GATES DO NOT CLOSE AND
LATCH, HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY
CLOSE THE DOORS.
THAT IS COMPLACENCY.
KNOWING WHERE YOUR CHILDREN
ARE.
NO EXCUSE FOR NOT KNOWING WHERE
YOUR CHILDREN ARE.
AS A POOL BUILDER.
IN 1.45 MILLION POLLS IN
FLORIDA.
THEY ARE VERY PROMINENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SWIMMING POOLS
ONLY PROMOTES CHILDREN’S
SAFETY.
IT IS IMPERATIVE.
WHATEVER DOLLAR YOU SPEND ON
POOL MAKE THAT INVESTMENT A
GREAT INVESTMENT.
BUT ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOUR
CHILDREN ARE NOT REPLACEABLE.
YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE
THE CHILDREN ARE AT ALL TIMES.
BUT THE SMART TABLETS DOWN.
WHEN YOU WERE AT THE POOL PUT
IT AWAY.
IT CAN WAIT.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILD.
I’VE BEEN TO PLENTY SWIM EVENTS
WERE PARENTS IN THE CORNER NOT
PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR
CHILDREN.
>> AND TONY, I WILL MAKE
ANOTHER POINT.
80 PERCENT OF DROWNINGS HAPPEN
IN FRONT OF AN ADULT.
THAT MEANS THEY ARE DISTRACTED.
AND WE LIVE IN AN AGE OF
DISTRACTIONS BECAUSE OF THAT
CELL PHONE.
SO THAT IS WHY I’M SO ADAMANT.
PLEASE, I’M BEGGING PARENTS TO
MAKE SURE YOU KEEP AN EYE ON
THE CHILD.
>> WHAT AGE RANGE YOU THINK IT
SHOULD EVEN START PRACTICING
WITH CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS.
>> I’M NOT AN EXPERT ON THAT.
BUT I SAY SOON AS THEY LEARN
HOW TO WALK THEY SHOULD LEARN
HOW TO SWIM OR BE SAFER IN THE
WATER.
NO SUCH THING AS BEING
COMPLETELY SAFE IN THE WATER
BUT TO BE SAFE IN THE WATER AND
PUT THEM IN SWIM LESSONS.
WE HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM IT YMCA
SAFE START FROM SIX MONTHS TO
FOUR YEARS OF AGE SO THAT IS A
GREAT PROGRAM AND VERY
INTENSIVE.
IT IS AMAZING OPTION FOR
PARENTS WITH YOUNG ONES.
BUT ONCE THEY WALK, YOU KNOW,
YOU HAVE GOT THAT LITTLE.
THEY CAN GET AWAY FROM YOU IN A
HURRY.
>> AND WATCHING THEM FIGURE OUT
HOW TO FLOAT HIS HEART
WRENCHING AS A PARENT TO HEAR
THEM CALLING YOU.
BUT YOU KNOW THAT IS WHAT YOU
NEED TO DO TO SAVE THEIR LIVES.
>> SAY YOU WERE BORN TO SWIM.
YOU SWIM FOR NINE MONTHS BEFORE
YOU CAME IN THIS WORLD.
KERRY ACCLIMATED AT THE RIGHT
TIME IS IMPORTANT.
NOT ONLY HAVE THE 1.45 MILLION
RESIDENTIAL POOLS.
HOW MANY LAKES AND PONDS AND
STREAMS?
WE HAVE 1800 MILES OF SHORELINE
JUST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
THERE’S A LOT OF WATER S WE
NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE
OUR KIDS ARE AT ALL TIMES AND
IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE SURE
YOU PUT THAT RESPONSIBILITY
ONTO SOMEONE ELSE THAT CAN BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU.
AGAIN IF YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE
THE POOL AREA LET THE CHILDREN
GO WITH YOU.
TAKE THE PHONE WITH YOU TO THE
POOL.
A LOT OF LIFE-SAVING DEVICES
AROUND A SWIMMING POOL.
YOU DON’T WANT TO GO INTO A
POOL WHEN SOMEONE IS DROWNING.
YOU WANT TO BE PROPERLY TRAINED
HOW TO DO THAT.
SAVING A LIFE AND BRINGING
GREAT TECHNOLOGY.
WE DO A GREAT JOB OF INFORMING
CONSUMERS BUT WE CANNOT FORCE
THEM TO TAKE THAT KNOWLEDGE AND
APPLY IT BUT WE WISH THEY WOULD
DO IT IN EVERY CASE.
>> AND ROWDY GAINES KNOWS IT
CAN BE FUN, BRIGHT, CUTE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> YOU WON SOME GOLD MEDAL
SWIMMING.
SO LET’S BRING THAT BACK TO
PEOPLE TOO.
>> IT IS CHANGED MY LIFE AND
THAT EVERYBODY CAN GO TO THE
OLYMPICS BUT A BIG THRILL TO BE
ABLE TO REPRESENT MY COUNTRY.
>> THAT IS RIGHT AND WE ARE
VERY PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE IN
CENTRAL FLORIDA.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD TO BE
WITH YOU ALL.
>> AND KEY FOR THE AWARENESS
YEAR CREATING FOR THIS AND FOR
THE YMCA FOR PROVIDING FREE WHY
EVENTS SO CHECK WITH THEM AND