By Cassie McGovern
April is both Drowning Prevention and Autism Awareness Month. This is not a coincidence, as April tends to be the start of swim season and children with Autism tend to gravitate towards water without realizing that it can harm them.
Drowning is the Number 1 cause of death for children under the age of 4 in Florida. Drowning is also among the leading causes of death of individuals with autism. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 2013, at least 202 children between the ages of 1 and 14 drowned in a swimming pool or spa in the United States alone. Of those, 143 of the victims were children under the age of 5. The 202 children may be just another number to some, but to our family we know that number represents a baby no longer here, a beautiful life no longer here, a family who will never be the same. For every 1 fatality due to a drowning, there are 4 other lives affected from a “near drowning”.
75% of drowning victims are ages 12 to 25 months old. Edna Mae was one of these victims in 2009. 65% of drownings happen in the family’s pool, with one or both parents at home. Mortality risk among the autism population is twice as high as the general population. Autism is a serious, lifelong struggle. People with autism can find it incredibly hard to adapt to and make sense of the world. Some people with autism have little or no awareness of danger, making constant supervision imperative.
The fear of a child wandering off affects every parent, but that fear can be an overwhelming reality for the parents of children with autism. Children with autism are more likely to wander (also known as eloping/bolting) towards water because it fascinates them. The outcome is often tragic: between 2009-2011, accidental drownings accounted for 91% of all wandering-related deaths among autistic children in America under the age of 14.
Although, our daughter Edna Mae was not autistic, she loved the water. On that warm summer day in August 2009, we spent the day enjoying the pool just like many other families. Little did we know, this would be our last day as a “normal” family. On August 3, 2009, our life changed forever. Our beautiful 19 month-old baby girl went into our family swimming pool, not knowing how to swim, and lost her life. We have now committed our lives to sharing our story and encouraging parents to make every effort to protect their children. We have started a foundation where our mission is “Raising Awareness with Drowning Prevention and Organ Donation One family at a time.” To learn more, visit mcgovernfoundation.com
Our recommendations for layers of protection:
1. Supervision: NEVER take your eyes off children in and around water such as; pools,
tubs, lakes, canals, oceans, buckets and coolers.
2. Use barrier fences, self-closing/self-latching gates and secured doors with alarms
which can prevent young children from wandering into a pool. Check for broken and
missing drain covers.
3. Place alarms on all doors leading outside.
4. Learn to swim!!! Insure that all family members can swim. As soon as a child can
crawl, they can learn to swim.
5. Check the water areas FIRST, if your child gets out of your sight even for a moment. In
most cases, your child will be safe if they are in your home- every moment is crucial if
they are in the water.
6. Learn CPR Every year over 1,000 children 14 years and under drown in pools and
spas. Please take every precaution possible to prevent your child from becoming a victim.
