Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez made a visit to the Upper Keys on July 2 to speak on the importance of water safety — a crucial issue as summertime kicks off in the Sunshine State.
In a morning press conference at Jacobs Aquatic Center, Nuñez touched on the necessity of affordable kids’ swim education and the governor’s signing of legislation providing free swim lessons for kids 4 and under for families earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4, and Nuñez believes the bill will help alleviate this ongoing issue.
“This is just one more tool in the toolbox to help make sure our families can enjoy our waters and do so safely,” said Nuñez.
Additionally, Nuñez spoke on several water safety tips, encouraging parents to place door alarms to keep track of their young children, learn CPR and follow life jacket laws.
“Supervising children is extremely important,” Nuñez said. “We want to make sure people safely enjoy our beaches, our pools, our springs, our rivers.”
Other guests echoed her concerns, providing statistics and anecdotes concerning drowning deaths.
“Being around water is a way of life here in our state. … (But) it’s important to stay vigilant,” said Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris. “More than 80% of drowning deaths of children reported to our hotline were during non-swim time… We cannot leave our guards down.” Children with special needs are at particular risk of drowning if not properly instructed.
“In the Keys, there’s a serious, absolute risk of drowning despite all the beauty that points in another direction,” said Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo.
Mention was made of the Keys Kid Swim Program, a pilot program started by Key Largo School in 2023 providing no-cost swim lessons over the course of two weeks to kindergarteners with goals that were echoed in the swimming legislation.
“It’s amazing to see the kids on day one not be able to put their faces in the water but by the end of the week be able to swim the length of the pool,” said John Allen, Monroe County director of parks & beaches.
The event concluded as youth from the Jacobs Aquatic Center summer camp demonstrated the rescue techniques they’d learned from this week’s lesson. Nùñez encouraged citizens to visit watersmartfl.com to learn more about the layers of protection involved in water safety.
