1. Maximizing Your Water
Safety & Drowning
Prevention Efforts
Anna Stewart, Manager
Drowning Prevention Coalition of
Palm Beach County
17th International Boating and
Water Safety Summit
March 26, 2013

2. Goal & Objectives
Goal:
For attendees to be able to take the presented information
and enhance their water safety education efforts at home.
After completing this training, attendees should be
able to:
Implement specific water safety and drowning prevention
education ideas for all age groups (kindergarten to adults)
within own community.
Cultivate partnerships with key stakeholders.
Ideas on how to establish a volunteer base.

3. Drowning Prevention Coalition
Of Palm Beach County
PBC Gov’t agency – Staff of 2 (Mgr. & Coord.)
 Funded by:
 Housed and directly managed by:
Though we have a completely separate budget!
Responsible for educating 1.3 million PBC
residents on the importance of water
safety and drowning prevention.

4. Statistics

5. Drowning Deaths per Year in PBC
1997-2012
Prepared By: Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach
70
62 63 62
60 58*
56 56
53
51 50 50
50
49 48
46
43 42 41
Number of Drownings
40
30
20
10
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Data Source: Office of the Medical Examiner, District 15; Data Notes: Immediate Cause of
Death: Drowning; *Data Includes Resident and Non Resident Drowning Deaths
Year *Of the 58 drowning deaths, 9 were as a result of a capsized boat from Haiti

6. Drowning Deaths Per Month in PBC
1997-2012
100
92
88
90
78
80
75 73
71 71 68
70
Number of Drownings
57 57
60
51
49
50
40
30
20
10
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Prepared By: Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County
Data Source: Office of the Medical Examiner, District 15; Data Notes: Immediate Cause
of Death: Drowning; Data includes Resident and Non Resident Drowning Deaths
Month

7. Drowning Deaths by Gender in PBC
1997-2012
Female 207
Gender
Male 624
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Number of Drownings
P
Data Source: Office of the Medical Examiner, District 15; Data Notes: Immediate Prepared By: Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County
Cause of Death: Drowning; Data includes Resident and Non Resident Drowning
Deaths

8. Drowning Deaths by Location for PBC
1997-2012
Pond Hot Tub Other Lake MVA
3% 3% 2% 1% Pond MVA
0% 1%
Bathtub
4%
Pool
Intracoastal
23%
7%
Lake
7% Canal MVA
16%
Ocean
17%
Canal
16%
Data Source: Office of the Medical Examiner, District 15; Data Notes: Immediate Cause of
Prepared By: Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County
Death: Drowning; Data includes Resident and Non Resident Drowning Deaths

9. Drowning Deaths in Palm Beach County, Rates by Age,
1997-2012 Prepared by: Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County
9
Drowning Rate* per 100,000 Resident Population
8.0
8
6.4
7
5.6
6
4.7
5
4.5
4
4.3 4.3 3.9
3
2.9 2.9
2
1.7
1
1.4
0
Age
Data Source: Office of the Medical Examiner, District 15 and Department of Health, Office of Health Statistics and Assessment in consultation with
the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research; Data Notes: Immediate Cause of Death: Drowning *Estimated Rate Based
on Resident Population Only, Visitor Population Unknown

10. Our Mission
To promote, develop, and support
training and community education
efforts that prevent drowning, near
drowning and other water related
incidents in Palm Beach County.
 Not Easy
 Limited Staff
 Limited Funding

11. How Do We Carry Out Our Mission?
 Provide free, land based water safety
presentations and training to:
ANYONE WILLING TO LISTEN TO
US TALK!
 Provide free, water safety lessons to
both underprivileged and special needs
children ages 3-12 (on an individual
level) as well as offer lessons for groups .
 Provide water safety/drowning
prevention materials at health and
safety fairs.

12. How Do We Carry Out Our Mission?
 Making water safety and drowning
prevention fun to learn.
 Establishing public/private
partnerships with key stakeholders.
 Establishing a core of dedicated
volunteers.

13. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Attractive Displays

14. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
At Displays
Using a Riddle Game
to Bring Kids Over

15. Making Water Safety And Drowning
Prevention Fun To Learn
Pre K: Stewie the Duck
Read book & play either an
instrument or the provided DVD

16. Making Water Safety And Drowning
Prevention Fun To Learn
Teaching How To Be
Safe at The Beach
Pre K-1st Grade:
They Love Sandy & Buddy
Our Build-A-Bears

17. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Teacher Involvement
Pre K – 5th Grade
Adult
Supervision:
WATER
WATCHER

18. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Teacher Involvement
K – 5th Grade – They Love Our “Build-A-Teacher”

19. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Assembly And Classroom Programs
1st – 5th Grade
 Make volunteer
cards.
 Hand them to
students randomly
as they arrive to your
presentation.
 Call your volunteer
when ready.

20. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Student Involvement
K - 5th Grade
Assembly Program:
Getting The Kids
Involved
Boating Safety
Beach Safety

21. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Student Involvement
K - 5th Grade
Reach or Throw
Don’t GO!!!!

22. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Visual Aids
Pre K – 5th Grade

23. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Visual Aids

24. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Games
Great for
Summer
Camps and
Elementary
School
Children

25. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Games For Middle & High School Students

26. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
Crafts
Making Water Watcher Tags and
Rescue Devices

27. Attention Getting Videos For
High School and Adult Presentations

28. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and High School
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
• 3rd Leading Cause Of Drowning In PBC
 Float time at water’s surface can range from 1
minute to 4 minutes.
 Vehicle will assume an angled nose down
position in the water.
 Electric power may stay on for few minutes or
not at all.
 If water depth is less than 14’, vehicle will
usually rest on bottom on all 4 wheels. If more
than 14’, vehicle will usually land on its roof.

29. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle

30. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
REMEMBER
S TAY CALM Push Seatbelt Release
O pen window(s) or O pen window(s) or
Door(s) Door(s)
Seatbelt Release GO!!!!!!!

31. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
STAY CALM
 Assess the situation
 Slow your breathing
Panicking Wastes Energy
And Time

32. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
Open your Window(s) or Door(s)
 Due to water pressure from the outside, opening the door will be
difficult or impossible.
 Locate door latch, window crank or electric window switch (electric
windows may still work but don’t rely on them).
 A rescue/escape tool should be immediately
available for breaking out the window.
 Tool should be mounted on
the sidewall of the driver’s
side compartment, attached
to key ring or other location
that is easily accessible.

33. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
Open your Window(s) or Door(s)
 Smash window using rescue/escape tool or lower
window using crank or switch.
 If there is no rescue/escape tool,
vehicle must completely fill with
water for there to be an equalization
of pressure.

34. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
Seatbelt release
 Keep seatbelt on until ready to exit the vehicle. If
taken off, occupant can be pushed away from the
drivers side window.
 Place your hand on the window frame to make sure you stay
by the exit.

35. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
Seatbelt release
 Use escape/rescue tool to
cut the seatbelt and exit
through an open window.
 If you must wait until the car
completely fills with water, place your hand on
the on the door handle, cut your
seatbelt with escape/rescue tool
and open the door once the
vehicle’s interior has pressurized.

36. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
What If There Are Multiple Occupants?
 Once escape route has opened, each occupant
should hold hands in a human chain and escape
from same route.
 If young children are secured in car seats or by a
seatbelt, remember:
PO GO

37. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
PO GO:
1st: Push Seatbelt Release and head to
the back of vehicle.
2nd: Release child(ren) from their
car seat/seatbelt using the seatbelt cutter
on the rescue/escape tool.
3rd: Open your escape
route, and
4th: GO, get Out!

38. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
Other Information
 Once you have escaped the vehicle be
prepared for the water to be dark and
murky.
 Blow bubbles out of
your nose to determine
which way is to the
surface of the water.

39. Making Water Safety And
Drowning Prevention Fun To Learn
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
 If car lands upside down in the water:
a) Don’t take off your seatbelt until you
have a firm grasp of the door handle.
b) Once you take off your seatbelt, you
must wait until the car fills with
water until you can open the door
or you can use a rescue tool to
punch or smash the
window to escape.

40. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle
GO!
GET OUT
AS FAST AS YOU CAN

41. Making Water Safety Interesting & Relevant
For Adults and Teenagers
How To Escape A Sinking Vehicle

42. Establishing Public/Private
Partnerships With Key Stakeholders
 Area Aquatic Facilities
- 18 aquatic facilities that participate in our Water Safety Swim Program
- Staff assists us with water safety presentations.
- “Schools and Pools” program.

43. Establishing Public/Private Partnerships With
Key Stakeholders
 Local American Red Cross
- Lifeguard classes, water safety instructor classes, CPR classes.
 Safe Kids Coalition
- Water safety is part of their injury prevention program.
 Department of Children & Families
- Access to most vulnerable.
- Investigates all Drowning/Near Drowning incidents.
 Children’s Services Council
- Provide funding to programs that serve underprivileged.

44. Establishing Public/Private Partnerships With
Key Stakeholders
 Medical Examiner Office
- Receive ME reports where the cause of death is drowning.
Or ask to read reports where the cause of death is drowning.
 School District
- Work with physical education teachers/drivers ed.
- “Schools and Pools” Program.
 Health Department
- Health clinics, health fairs.
 Florida Swimming Pool Association
- Members have direct access to customers.
- Funded our “Car in Canal” brochure.

45. Establishing Public/Private Partnerships With
Key Stakeholders
 Local Law Enforcement & Municipalities
- Drowning prevention campaign
- Pool safety cling

46. Establishing Public/Private Partnerships With
Key Stakeholders
 Local Media
- Help disseminate information (i.e. PSA, Radio, Article).
- Read every drowning article and contact writer.
 Area Hospitals
- Provide water safety information for parent classes.
 Area Pediatrician Offices
- Provide water safety information.
 Center for Autism & Related Disabilities/Special Needs
- Provide support and resources for families.
 United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Boating safety, awesome volunteers.

47. Establishing Public/Private Partnerships With
Key Stakeholders
 Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Volunteer Battalion
- Our 501(c)3 Partner
- Boating safety
- Fundraise together
- Grants

48. Establishing Public/Private Partnerships With
Key Stakeholders
 US Army Corps of Engineers
- Bobber the Water Safety Dog.
- Provides water safety coloring books and other materials.
- Staff can help with water safety/boating safety events.

49. Establishing A Core Of Dedicated Volunteers
People Who Have Been Personally Effected
By A Drowning/Near Drowning Incident
• Most Poignant.
• Email reporters who cover a
drowning story to see if you
can get in touch with the family.
Contact the law enforcement
agency who handled the call.

50. Jordan’s Story

51. Establishing A Core Of Dedicated Volunteers
 Parks & Recreation Dept Staff & Other
Aquatic Facility Staff (i.e. YMCA, Cities)
 Area High School Students
- Mandatory service hours.
 Retired Senior Volunteer Program
- Wealth of experience and knowledge.
 Volunteermatch.org
- Interested volunteers Come To You!!!

52. Establishing A Core Of Dedicated Volunteers
 Junior League
- Improves communities through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers.
 United Way
- Interested volunteers via their website Come To You!!!!
 Just Ask!
- Health and safety fairs.
- When giving Presentations.
 Area University Students
- Internship Programs.

53. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel!
• Poolsafely.gov - a plethora of free, water
safety materials
• pbcgov.org/dpc
• usla.org
• safekids.org
• bobber.info
• Me!!!!

54. THANK YOU
ANNA STEWART
405 PIKE ROAD
WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33411
561-616-7068
ASTEWART@PBCGOV.ORG