3 people nearly drown same weekend as water safety fair

Three people nearly drowned the same weekend a water safety fair was scheduled at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds.

Rose Bennett knows how devastating the incidents can be. She helped organize the fair because her son, Ethan, nearly drowned 4 years ago.

“It really breaks my heart,” Bennett said, “because it is 100 percent preventable. Water is fun. It’s not the enemy. You just have to be safe around water.”

Ethan Bennett was 6 years old when he was found at the bottom of a pool on June 2, 2009.

Now, Ethan is in a wheelchair and uses sign language to communicate.

“Getting married and having kids. A lot of that stuff died that day with him,” Rose Bennett said. “It’s just what it is. So he just has a completely different life now.”

She helped organize the safety fair and mud drag racing event to share her story with a bigger audience.

“That one second can change your whole life,” Bennett said. “And it’s just not worth it.”