PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Pete Fire Rescue is increasing efforts to encourage swim safety. It's even launching a new program to help stop children from drowning.
The program will install free door alarms at homes that have pools. It's something Shakilya Lewis said is critical.
"You get that initial phone call… like your life kind of stops. The feeling of not knowing... it's quite painful," said Lewis.
Lewis is talking about a day she will never forget.
"He got out in the pool area and he began playing with the toys and jumping in and out, and that last time he was unable to get back to the wall," said Lewis.
She had enrolled her three-year-old son in swim lessons... but that wasn't enough.
"I feel like I lost my my little baby here. Although he is still here, I lost what we had," said Lewis.
In 2022, her son BJ nearly drowned, and now he has a brain injury.
"The hardest thing is remembering how he was prior to his accident. He was walking, talking. He was, I mean, he was potty-trained and now it feels like I've gone backwards," said Lewis.
She has been advocating for swim safety since that day.
In 2023, Pinellas County had 37 pediatric submersions, according to St. Pete Fire Rescue. Four of those children died. Two children have drowned in the county so far this year.
Meghan Martin with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital said this year she's seeing water emergencies almost every day.
"Knowing that there's already two pediatric deaths in our county this year so far, I'm really nervous about what the final years numbers are gonna look like because we are just moving into the time where these type of incidents really start to ramp up," said Martin.
Experts recommend installing fences and locks around homes and pools, as well as learning CPR and enrolling kids in swim lessons.
Lewis said BJ is slowly learning how to breathe, eat, and drink on his own.
Now she's spending her time taking care of him and spreading one message: "It's extremely important for families to take the measures that fire and rescue and everyone from the hospital are saying. Take those measures to protect these babies."
Record river flooding is expected in our area following Hurricane Milton's landfall.
