(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
PSA Campaign Alerts Parents to Startling Stat that 70% of Drownings Involving Children Occur During Non-Swim Times.
"If parents will be brave enough to hear our message and effect change for their families, we'll be helping to make a difference,” Kelly Helbig (Jack's mom).
The mission of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance is: Elevating Awareness to Educate, Advocate, Innovate, and Equip to Prevent Drownings.
NDPA Teams with Doner Creative on 'The Clothes They Wore' Public Service Campaign that Tells the Story of Five Children Lost to Non-Swim Time Drowning.
Children are drawn to water and will find their way to a water source when unsupervised. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 in the U.S., but it's also 100% preventable.” - Adam Katchmarchi, Ph.D., CEO, NDPA
TUSTIN, CA, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- With reports of drownings reaching record levels in Florida and throughout the country, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance ( ) is working to inform parents about one of the most common and dangerous myths.
Parents, conditioned to keep an eye on their children while enjoying the water, are shockingly unaware that 70% of drownings involving children occur during non-swim times - more than twice the rate than those that occur during swim time.
“Children are naturally drawn to water and will find their way to a pool or water source when their parents least expect it,” said Adam Katchmarchi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA).“Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 in the United States, but it's also 100% preventable if parents know the facts and make informed decisions for their families.”
To raise awareness around the occurrence of non-swim time drownings, NDPA together with agency partner Doner, launched The Clothes They Wore , a public service campaign that includes a series of five long-form films that tell the story of Edna Mae, Gunner, Jack, Joshua and Levi – each lost to a non-swim time drowning as told by their parents. To drive home the message that most drownings do not happen when a child is in a swimsuit, the PSAs feature the wet play clothes of children.
“We cannot underscore enough the importance of this campaign and the awareness it will help build for drowning prevention and the NDPA,” said David DeMuth, CEO, Doner.“We admire the courage parents showed in sharing their stories and hope the work we helped create will spark conversation and save lives.”
“This is my cry to parents to urge them to learn from our pain and our heartache. We share this message for others,” Christina Martin (Gunner's mom).
To prevent childhood drowning, NDPA advocates the use of the Five Layers of Protection because a single drowning prevention strategy is not enough. Intended to work in combination with one another, the Five Layers of Protection include:
.Barriers and Alarms to prevent children from gaining access to a pool or open water when unsupervised.
.Close, constant, and capable adult supervision any time children are in or around water.
.Water Competency – as young as age one, parents should make swimming a child's #FIRSTSPORT, data shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by as much as 88%.
.Use of U.S. Coast Guard-approved Life Jackets to provide protection in and around open water.
.Emergency Response Preparedness, including CPR training with rescue breaths and having ready access to a phone to call 911.
The Clothes They Wore launched July 1 via video, print, social, out of home, digital and experiential, and builds on NDPA's 2023 Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning campaign, which focused on how drowning events are fast and silent, dispelling the common misperception that a drowning victim can splash and call out for help.
The Latest Statistics: On May 14, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Vital Signs: Drowning Death Rates, Self-Reported Swimming Skill, Swimming Lesson Participation, and Recreational Water Exposure for the period 2019-2022. The report revealed that unintentional drowning deaths were significantly higher during 2020, 2021 and 2022 compared with those in 2019. Among the most alarming findings was the rise in drowning rates among children ages 1-4 which increased 28% in 2022 (compared with 2019).
About the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA): The mission of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance is:“Elevating Awareness to Educate, Advocate, Innovate, and Equip to Prevent Drownings.” NDPA believes that as a united alliance we can save lives by preventing the tragedy of drowning. For more on NDPA, water safety, #FirstSport and the Five Layers of Protection visit or follow NDPA on social (Facebook/Instagram/X @drownalliance).
Rosalie M. Martin
Blue Whale Public Relations
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The Clothes They Wore: Jack Helbig's Story
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