Water safety for kids in Collier and Lee Counties starts with layers of protection. Drowning is silent, fast, and preventable. In Florida, drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 and as of June 2026, 50 children have drown in Florida so far this year, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
No single device, rule, or swim class can prevent every drowning. Children are safest when parents and caregivers use several protections at the same time: active supervision, barriers, swim skills, life jackets, rescue training, and CPR.
Drowning happens to the best parents and the best people. The goal is not guilt. The goal is preparation.
Drowning Can Happen in Seconds
Drowning can happen quickly and quietly. A child may slip into a pool, canal, lake, pond, or other body of water without splashing or calling for help. Never assume that a kid in trouble in the water will make noise.
Children under age 5 are at the highest risk. In Florida, enough young children drown each year to fill three to four preschool classrooms.
Key action: If don’t see your child, check nearby pools and other water areas first. Seconds matter.
What Are the Best Layers of Protection?
The NCH Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition recommends using multiple layers of protection around water. These layers work together to prevent access, alert adults, and reduce injury if a child reaches the water.
Strong water safety for kids in Collier and Lee Counties includes:
- Active adult supervision
- Fences, gates, door alarms, and pool covers
- Swim lessons and water safety education
- U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets
- Basic water rescue skills
- First aid and CPR training
Each layer matters. None replaces another.
How Should Parents Supervise Kids Around Water?
There is no substitute for active supervision. When children are in or near water, give them your full attention.
Put away phones, books, long conversations, and other distractions while children are swimming or playing near water.
When several adults are present, use a Water Watcher system. One adult is assigned to watch the children for a set period, such as 15 minutes. Then another adult takes over.
This prevents the common mistake of assuming someone else is watching.
- Stay close enough to reach young children quickly.
- Watch children near pools, canals, lakes, ponds, beaches, and bathtubs.
- Never leave a child alone around water.
- Check water areas first if a child goes missing.
What Barriers Help Keep Children Away from Water?
Barriers help prevent young children from reaching water without an adult. They are especially important in Southwest Florida, where pools, canals, lakes, and ponds are common.
Walk through your home and yard from your child’s eye level. Look for any way a child could reach water without being seen.
Useful barriers include:
- Pool fences
- Self-closing and self-latching gates
- Secured doors
- Door and window alarms
- Pool safety covers
- Working drain covers
Alarms do not replace supervision or barriers. They add another layer by alerting adults if a door, window, or gate has been opened.
Collier County residents may be able to get free door or window alarms through the Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation. Visit floridadrowningpreventionfoundation.com/resources for details.
When Should Children Learn to Swim?
All family members should learn to swim well. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children can safely begin swim lessons as early as age 1, depending on readiness.
Choose swim lessons that match your child’s age, comfort level, and ability. Then keep practicing.
Children should also learn that they must never swim alone. An adult must watch them in the pool, canal, lake, or other water area. No one should ever swim alone, including adults. Anyone can drown, including strong swimmers.
Swim lessons reduce risk, but they do not make a child drown-proof. Even skilled swimmers need supervision.
- Teach children to ask an adult before they enter water.
- Use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets for young or inexperienced swimmers, and always use a life jackets on a boat. It’s the law.
- Do not rely on floaties as safety devices. These inexpensive toys are just that – toys, not safety devices. Children can remove them easily, and they often leak or burst. They should never be used unless the child is a strong swimmer (without the aid of a floatie) or an adult is in the water.
- Keep young children within arm’s reach when in the water.
The Florida Drowning Prevention Foundation offers swim lesson scholarships for all age groups in Florida. Visit www.fldpf.org/swim-scholarship.
Where Can Families Find Life Jackets and Swim Resources?
Life jackets are an important layer of protection for young children and inexperienced swimmers. They should be U.S. Coast Guard-approved and fit properly.
The NCH Safe & Healthy Children’s Coalition has life jackets available at 18 Life Jacket Loaner Stations at public access beaches. Find the locations at Safe Healthy Children.
Before a beach, boating, or pool day, check that each child has the right-size life jacket and knows when to wear it.
For local water play ideas, review splash pads for kids in Collier and Lee Counties and places to get wet and cool off in Naples. Even at family-friendly water spots, supervision is still the most important safety rule.
What Should Parents Know About CPR and Rescue?
Parents and caregivers should know how to respond in a water emergency. Basic water rescue skills, first aid, and CPR can save a life.
Keep rescue equipment and a phone near the pool. Make sure babysitters, grandparents, and other caregivers know where they are.
Parents should also know what to do before an emergency happens:
- Take a CPR class.
- Learn basic water rescue skills.
- Post emergency numbers near the pool.
- Keep pool toys away from the water when not in use.
- Make sure all caregivers understand your water safety rules.
The Water Smart Collier website includes water safety resources, swim lesson locations, and CPR certification information for parents and caregivers. Visit watersmartcollier.com.
How Can Families Make Water Safety a Habit?
Water safety for kids in Collier and Lee Counties should be part of everyday family life. In Southwest Florida, water is everywhere, so prevention needs to be constant.
Talk about water rules before playdates, pool parties, beach trips, boating days, and visits to homes with pools.
Make one adult responsible for watching the water every time children are nearby.
- Review water rules before every outing.
- Ask about pool fences and alarms before playdates.
- Bring properly fitted life jackets when needed.
- Enroll children in swim lessons when they are ready.
- Update CPR training regularly.
Drowning is preventable. With supervision, barriers, swim skills, life jackets, CPR, and local resources, families can help keep children safer in and around water.