‘Blue Alert’ Issued to Save Children From Drowning

Fifteen preschool children sat smiling in blue chairs, wearing red fire hats and hugging brown teddy bears Tuesday during a news conference in front of the Irvine Child Development Center.

After a brief appearance they waved to the crowd, got up and walked back to class, leaving behind 15 empty seats, equivalent to the number of young drowning victims last year within the Orange County Fire Authority’s reach.

“That represents an entire preschool class that was wiped out by drowning,” said Fire Authority Capt. Scott Brown. “Drowning continues to be a significant health issue.”

The poignant demonstration was staged to call attention to a new public awareness campaign aimed at preventing childhood drownings in Orange County.

Spearheaded by the Fire Authority, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and the Drowning Prevention Network of Orange County, the “Blue Alert” campaign aims to educate parents with the help of a 60-second video message and other educational tools as the spring and summer “drowning season” gets underway and children gravitate toward pools and backyard spas.

According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, drowning is the leading cause of death by injury for children younger than 5 in the county and the state. There were 16 child drowning victims countywide last year, according to the county coroner. (The 15 reported by the Fire Authority occurred within county fire’s jurisdiction, which covers 19 cities and all unincorporated territory.)

Across California, drowning kills about 100 children a year. In addition, for every drowning death, county health officials say that two to 20 children are near-drowning victims, and many of these children suffer brain damage and long-term disabilities.

Bill and Marcia Kerr of Lake Forest know the horror firsthand.

Nine years ago, their 2-year-old son, Cody, awoke from a nap, opened a door in bedroom that led to the backyard and made his way to the family pool. Even though a nanny was just inside the house, no one noticed Cody in the water until his 3-year-old sister, Cara, woke from her nap and found her brother “sleeping in the pool.”

The nanny then ran out the front door of the house screaming for help, instead of attempting CPR on the boy. By the time a neighbor came over to help, Cody was not breathing. He was later pronounced dead.

“They don’t think it’s going to happen to them because they’re responsible parents,” said Bill Kerr, who appeared with his wife at the press conference.

The public service announcement video, which will be distributed to local cable companies, shows three toys floating in a crystal blue pool. An announcer then asks the audience to listen for sounds of a child drowning. Complete silence follows. Then the screams of a distraught woman are heard.

Other educational tools have also been developed for the prevention program. One of the more visible tools includes magnetic signs that read: “Watch the Water. Children Drown Without a Sound,” which will be placed on Fire Authority engines and Children’s Hospital vans.

Literature on pool safety, supervision, protective fencing and barriers for pools and spas and colorful “Water Watcher” tags can be picked up free at fire stations and the hospital. The tags, which are in English and Spanish, are to be worn around the neck by the water watcher--an adult designated to keep eyes on a pool area while children are present.

For information on drowning prevention and CPR classes, call (714) 744-0496. For information on preventing childhood injury, call (714) 532-8887.

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Water Hazards

Accidental drownings of Orange County children 14 or younger increased last year after averaging 12 for the preceding decade:

1986: 13

1987: 11

1988: 6

1989: 13

1990: 16

1991: 11

1992: 9

1993: 21

1994: 10

1995: 10

1996: 16

Source: Orange County sheriff-coroner