May is Childhood Drowning Prevention Month

Governor J.B. Pritzker has proclaimed May Childhood Drowning Prevention Month in Illinois, which serves as a good time to remind parents of the importance of constantly supervising children when they are in or near water to prevent the tragedy of accidental drowning deaths.

In 2021, 18 Illinois children lost their lives to accidental drowning: eight in pools; three in bathtubs; two in lakes; two in ponds; and one each in a creek, a river and a hot tub. All eight of the children who drowned in pools were age 5 and younger.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drown...