Florida leads nation in child drownings

Florida loses more children under the age of 5 to drowning than any other state.

That's according to the Florida Dept. of Health. 28 children have drowned in Florida so far this year.

John Harrel with the Department of Children and Families says child drownings are preventable. He says  parents and guardians should keep a close eye on children.

"Not being distracted by texting, phone calls or conversations."

He recommends having your child take swimming lessons. He also suggests parents get trained on how to give CPR. Additionally, he says maintaining a close eye over kids when they are at the beach or the swimming pool can greatly reduce the risk of drowning.

"Got to keep a close eye on those kids, if you do the likelihood that something might happen with those children goes way down.