PHOENIX — Several children have drowned in Phoenix so far this year and it's not even summer yet.
"It absolutely can happen to you," Phoenix Fire Cpt. Rob McDade said.
The Phoenix Fire Department has responded to 27 drowning calls year-to-date as of Thursday morning.
"If you look at that number, it's way too big," McDade said.
That number is a fraction of calls across the Valley.
In Maricopa and Pima Counties, 21 people, including eight kids and 13 adults died in water-related incidents in 2024, according to the Children's Safety Zone.
“In Arizona, drowning is a year-round issue so we have to pay attention this all of the time," Downing Prevention Coalition of Arizona spokesperson Lori Stauffer said.
In recent cases, kids younger than five years old ended up in a backyard pool without adult supervision.
This happened to a two-year-old boy Wednesday night. Fire crews said it's unknown how long the boy was underwater. He died.
“When children are under the age of five especially, they’re in their discovery phase and they see water they want to get to it," Stauffer said. "You have to put some kind of barrier in place for those times you’re supervision is not on them 100 percent."
A rarer near drowning happened on Sunday. An 11-year-old girl was pulled underwater after her hair got caught on a piece of pool equipment.
Stauffer said this is an unfortunate reminder to check that backyard drain covers meet the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act Drain Cover Standard.
“We’ve had adults injured, children injured, and some of them horrifically," Stauffer said.
Water safety experts say drowning doesn't only impact children.
A 46-year-old man died at Bartlett Lake on Saturday after hitting his head and falling in the water.
Stauffer said people of all ages and swimming abilities should consider wearing life jackets in bigger bodies of water.
“People don’t drown in life jackets," Stauffer said.
Water safety advocates said every backyard pool should have a fence around it with a self-closing gate that stays locked.
Anyone who doesn't know how to swim should be in a life jacket in the water.
Even when taking all precautions, experts said the best way to prevent drowning is with undivided, physical supervision.
“That person should not be on their phone, should not be having casual conversation," McDade said.
McDade said people shouldn't take water safety advice lightly, because drownings could happen to anyone.
“The statistics are there. Socioeconomic factors do not matter. Multi-million dollar homes, apartment complexes, lower-income neighborhoods, it doesn’t matter, no child is immune," McDade said.
Experts also recommend parents or anyone spending time near water become CPR-certified because you never know when you might be able to save a life.
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