A 6-year-old boy in Florida has died after wandering into a canal in a residential neighborhood and drowning, authorities say.
Authorities were summoned to a residential neighborhood in Tamarac at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 25 in reference to a “missing and endangered child,” Local 10 News reported. After a search of the neighborhood, authorities found the child in a canal and began to perform life-saving measures. The child was then airlifted to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the outlet stated.
SAFETY ALERT: The Broward Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public about the importance of children knowing how to swim after a 6-year-old boy drowned in a canal over the weekend. https://t.co/y2MAaDT7AN
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) February 27, 2023
“Some of us were here praying. When we went to church yesterday and I was asking persons to pray – the fact that he was airlifted gave us hope,” neighbor Raquel Dinham told the outlet.
“It really just hurts. I feel for the family,” neighbor Matthew Dinham added.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children in Florida between the ages of 1 and 4. For ages 5 to 9, it’s the second leading cause of death, followed by motor vehicle accidents, according to the Florida Department of Health. (RELATED: REPORT: 3 Men Missing After Trying to Save 8-Year-Old Struggling To Swim)
“What’s concerning about Florida is the number of pool drownings are so much higher than other similar size states like Texas and California that have had around 200-300 pool fatalities, while Florida has had more than 400,” Nick VinZant, senior research analyst and insurance expert, told WINK news.
The Broward County Sheriff’s office is hoping this incident will serve as a reminder for parents to provide swimming lessons for their young children to help them survive should they accidentally fall into the water, Local 10 news reported.