In a typical year, between one and three children are lost to drowning in backyard swimming pools during a Cincinnati summer. This year, Cincinnati Children's Hospital reports nine such deaths.
"This year we've seen a significant increase in the number of drowning deaths and it has our team very concerned," said Dawne Gardner, injury prevention specialist at Cincinnati Children's, in a news release. "Because many community pools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, families are relying more on backyard pools that don't provide lifeguard supervision. While many people think they would be able to hear if something was wrong with their child, drowning is in fact often silent and very quick."
Gardner joins Cincinnati Edition to talk about the issue and the safety precautions that families can take.
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