Children's Safety Zone

MESA, Ariz. — A 40-year-old man drowned in the Salt River near Blue Point Bridge on Thursday, according to a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy lake patrol divers found Luis Alberto Gutierrez in 15 feet of water at 6:00 p.m., about two hours after responding to a drowning call.

He was found near the area where he was reported going under the water.

According to witnesses, the victim was swimming with another individual across the river, a distance of about 50 yards, when he went under.

A 4-year-old child is in critical condition after he’s found in an Avondale pool.

Police responded to a home near 107th Ave and Lower Buckeye Monday afternoon. The boy had not been seen for 3 to 5 minutes, and a 10-year-old relative ended up seeing him at the bottom of the pool.

She removed the boy from the pool, and the boy’s mother performed CPR.

It’s not clear how long he was underwater, but he was breathing and responsive when paramedics took him by ground to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

At last check, the boy was in critical condition.

The investigation is ongoing.

A baby was hospitalized after being found in a swimming pool not breathing on Saturday.

Phoenix Fire spokesman Tony Mure says a mother called 911 after finding her 22-month-old boy in a swimming pool near Estrella Drive and 51st Avenue.

Mure says CPR has already been started on the baby when paramedics arrived.

The boy still wasn’t breathing when he was transported to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Shortly after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Yuma Fire Department personnel were sent to a home in the 1100 block of Brahma Lane regarding a report of a child drowning.

YFD paramedics arrived on scene to find a Yuma police officer performing CPR on a 3-year-old boy. The child had been found in the backyard pool by family members and was removed unresponsive and not breathing. It is believed the child could have been under water for five to ten minutes.

Paramedics worked on the child at the scene, later transporting him to Yuma Regional Medical Center where further efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, YFD reported.

According to Mike Erfert, YFD spokesman, when on the scene of drowning or near-drowning incidents involving children, emergency responders often hear that the child was out of sight around water for only a few minutes or even seconds.

Arizona loses the equivalent of a classroom full of children each year to drowning, Erfert said. Some drownings occur in pools, some in rivers or lakes and others in bathtubs. Children 4 years old and younger are at the greatest risk. A child can drown in as little as an inch or two of water.

Adult supervision, barrier fencing around pools with self closing/self latching gates and CPR make up the ABCs of child drowning prevention, Erfert said. Bystanders stepping up to perform CPR have made the difference in several recent near-drowning cases.

However, this is the second recent child drowning involving a backyard pool in Yuma.

At last night’s City Council meeting, August was proclaimed “Drowning Impact Awareness Month” in the City of Yuma by Mayor Alan L. Krieger. This proclamation is also being made for the State of Arizona by Governor Jan Brewer.

The purpose is to raise awareness of the number of cases and the impact of child drowning in Arizona. Even though Arizona is considered a desert state, every year drowning incidents take the lives of the equivalent of a classroom full of children. Children 4 years old and younger are in the highest risk group.

Every year inArizonaan average of 100 people drown. So far this year, in thePhoenixarea alone, there have been 25 drowning deaths (5 of which were children) resulting from 81 water related incidents.Yumahas had its share of water incidents, 3 drowning deaths (two toddlers and an adult) have occurred and only quick action has saved other children from drowning.

Families can take simple steps to protect their children around water and avoid the tragedy of unnecessary loss of life. The most basic of these steps comes down to constant, responsible, focused, adult supervision of any child around water. Never let a child unattended around water for any length of time. It takes “just a few seconds” for a life to be lost and a family to be changed forever. All too often first responders hear “I only looked away for a few seconds” or “I thought someone else was watching them.”

Barrier fencing is another important safety factor for children around pools. Pool owners should ensure there are no gaps in their fencing and that self closing/self latching gates are working properly. Door alarms should tested, and kept in good working order (even if irritating, they are that way for a reason”ﾦto get your attention in a life threatening emergency). Even personal alarms are available to attach to a child that will activate when exposed to water. Temporary “summer” pools should be kept just as secure, inside fenced/secure areas and emptied when they are not being played in.

Keeping children healthy and safe are the goals of Fire Departments and other prevention institutions inArizona. “Drowning Impact Awareness Month” is one way to raise awareness and remind people that there is no substitute for constant, responsible, focused, (even relentless!) adult supervision of children around water. The consequences of failure are just too great”ﾦ