F🚫CK DROWNING!

When pool professionals get passionate about safety, you listen. In a raw and emotional episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, mother-daughter duo Andrea and Paulette tackle one of the most serious topics in their industry: drowning prevention. With four recent near-drowning incidents in Broward County, Florida serving as a sobering backdrop, this episode delivers hard truths about water safety that every pool owner, parent, and aquatic professional needs to hear.

The Harsh Reality: Four Drownings in One Week

The episode opens with devastating news from Florida, where Lifesaver Pool Fence is based. Andrea shares the alarming statistics that prompted their discussion:

There's been four drownings in this one county in Florida in the past week... So, unfortunately, they were all mostly unsupervised events. At least two of them were. I didn't read up on the other two. But the kids were not supervised.

— Andrea, Talking Pools Podcast

These incidents occurred across different settings - apartment complexes, hotels, and residential backyard pools. Most importantly, the hosts emphasize that at least three of the four children survived, highlighting both the tragedy and the preventable nature of these events. The victims were all children, with the oldest being just 12 years old.

What makes these statistics particularly heartbreaking is their preventable nature. As Andrea pointedly states throughout the episode, drowning is "100% preventable" with proper supervision and safety measures in place.

The Silent Danger: Why Drowning Happens in Plain Sight

One of the most chilling aspects discussed in the episode is how drowning can occur even when other people are present. The hosts share the account of a 12-year-old who nearly drowned while surrounded by friends and other people at the pool. A young girl who helped rescue him was interviewed by local news, and her words reveal the terrifying reality of how quickly things can go wrong:

She kept saying over and over again... 'I thought he was joking.' Is what she kept saying. 'I thought he was joking. I thought he was just playing.' And then it turns out that he wasn't.

— Andrea, Talking Pools Podcast

This account illustrates a crucial point about water safety: drowning doesn't look like what most people expect. There's no dramatic splashing or calling for help like in the movies. Instead, it's often silent and can easily be mistaken for play, especially among children.

The hosts stress that supervision must be active and focused. You can't simply have adults present - they need to be actively watching the water and the swimmers, especially when multiple children are involved.

Personal Stories That Hit Close to Home

Both Andrea and Paulette share personal experiences that drive home their points about water safety. Andrea recalls a moment from her own childhood that could have ended very differently:

I used to try to hold my breath for as long as I could and see how long it could stay under. And I was in the wave pool and I remember coming up out of the pool and the lifeguard was standing over me... Because he saw me go under and... by the time I came up, he was ready to jump in.

— Andrea, Talking Pools Podcast

This story perfectly illustrates how even innocent games and activities can quickly become dangerous situations. The vigilant lifeguard recognized a potential emergency, even when Andrea was simply playing. This experience taught her an important lesson about water safety at a young age.

Paulette shares an equally sobering story about a pool party gone wrong, involving a watermelon game inspired by the TV show "Dance Moms." What seemed like harmless fun resulted in a serious head injury when the watermelon struck one of the girls, causing a hematoma "the size of a damn softball." The incident required a hospital visit and serves as a reminder that even seemingly innocent pool games can have serious consequences.

The Myth of Swimming Ability and Age

One of the most important points raised in the episode challenges common assumptions about swimming ability and supervision. Many parents believe that once children reach a certain age or swimming proficiency, constant supervision becomes less critical. However, the 12-year-old victim in the Florida incident was presumably able to swim, yet still experienced a near-drowning event.

The hosts emphasize that age and swimming ability don't eliminate risk. Even strong swimmers can find themselves in trouble due to various factors:

• Exhaustion from extended play
• Accidental injuries from pool games
• Medical emergencies while in the water
• Panic responses in unexpected situations
• Dangerous breath-holding games

The key takeaway is that supervision should be proportional to risk, not just age. As the hosts note: "the more kids in a pool, you should be more supervised... More supervisors. Because they are... all these kids are swimming and having fun and splashing and you might kick somebody and not realize that they're under the water."

Controversial Pool Games and Peer Pressure

The episode tackles a controversial topic: breath-holding games and other potentially dangerous pool activities. Andrea addresses the pushback that safety advocates often face when they try to discourage these activities:

I've seen people on Facebook be like, 'Oh you can't... you know, discourage the breath holding games'... And people that make those comments get like laughed at and like bullied... And it's like, 'Oh it's just a game. You're just, you know, the kids are having fun.'

— Andrea, Talking Pools Podcast

The hosts argue that while these may seem like harmless childhood activities, the potential consequences are too severe to ignore. Their perspective is simple but powerful: if a game could result in serious injury or death, perhaps it's not worth playing.

This discussion extends beyond just breath-holding to include any pool activity that increases risk unnecessarily. The watermelon game story serves as a perfect example of how activities that seem fun and innocent can quickly turn dangerous.

Professional Perspective: The F*ck Drowning Summit

Adding credibility to their discussion, Andrea mentions her upcoming participation in the "F*ck Drowning Summit" (officially called the Lifesaver Pool Fence Conference). This professional development opportunity demonstrates the industry's commitment to drowning prevention and education.

The conference's provocative name reflects the urgent, no-nonsense approach needed when addressing water safety. It's not about being polite or politically correct - it's about saving lives through education, awareness, and action.

This professional involvement gives the hosts' message additional weight. They're not just concerned pool owners or parents; they're industry professionals who see water safety issues regularly and understand the technical aspects of prevention.

Practical Takeaways for Pool Safety

Throughout their discussion, the hosts provide several actionable insights for improving pool safety:

Active Supervision Guidelines:

• Designate a specific adult as the "water watcher" and rotate this responsibility
• The water watcher should do nothing else - no phone, no book, no conversations
• Maintain constant visual contact with all swimmers
• Increase the number of supervisors as the number of swimmers increases

Recognizing Drowning Signs:

• Drowning is often silent - there may be no splashing or calling for help
• Look for vertical body position with head tilted back
• Watch for inability to call for help or wave
• Be aware that victims may appear to be "playing" or "joking"

Game and Activity Guidelines:

• Avoid breath-holding contests and underwater games
• Be cautious with pool toys and games that could cause injury
• Establish clear pool rules and enforce them consistently
• Consider the cumulative effect of fatigue on swimming ability

The Bottom Line: Zero Tolerance for Preventable Tragedy

The overarching message of this episode is clear and uncompromising: drowning is entirely preventable, and there's no excuse for not taking every possible precaution. The hosts' passionate delivery and real-world examples drive home the urgency of this message.

While some may view their approach as overly cautious or fear-mongering, the statistics speak for themselves. According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause for children ages 5-14. These aren't just numbers - they represent families devastated by preventable tragedies.

The episode serves as a wake-up call for anyone involved with pools, whether professionally or personally. It challenges listeners to examine their own practices and assumptions about water safety, and to take action to prevent becoming another statistic.

As pool professionals who see the industry from the inside, Andrea and Paulette bring a unique perspective to water safety discussions. Their combination of technical knowledge, personal experience, and genuine passion for prevention makes their message both credible and compelling.

The episode concludes with a simple but powerful reminder: when it comes to water safety, there's no such thing as being too careful. The inconvenience of extra supervision or saying no to certain activities pales in comparison to the alternative. In their words, drowning is "100% preventable" - and that's a standard worth fighting for.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Weekly Check-in
• 05:30 Four Drowning Incidents in Florida
• 12:15 The Silent Nature of Drowning
• 18:45 Personal Water Safety Stories
• 25:30 Controversial Pool Games and Activities
• 32:10 Professional Perspective and Industry Response