JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new study from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department found that more men in their 30s have drowned in Jacksonville during the past five years than women and children, as city leaders work to identify ways to prevent future deaths.
The findings were presented during the third meeting of Jacksonville’s Special Committee on Drowning Prevention, which was formed after two autistic children drowned in privately owned retention ponds just weeks apart.
According to JFRD, there have been 291 calls for service related to drowning incidents in Jacksonville during the last five years.
Of those incidents, 83 occurred at private pools, 77 happened at the beach and 26 were reported at retention ponds.
JFRD’s data also showed that men accounted for 67% of drowning incidents, compared to 33% involving women.
More than 100 drowning incidents occurred within five ZIP codes across Jacksonville. The two ZIP codes with the highest number of incidents included Jacksonville Beach and the Huguenot Memorial Park and Heckscher Drive area, where most incidents occurred at the beach.
However, officials said one inland ZIP code also stood out.
“32256, we had 20. What stood out for me here was in that ZIP code we have five pond-related incidents there. So we can definitely look at that and see what we can do to change that,” a JFRD representative said.
The Northside was also identified as one of the areas with a high number of drowning incidents.
One statistic that surprised some city council members was that the age group with the most drowning deaths between 2020 and 2026 was adults ages 30 to 39.
Jacksonville City Council member Tyrona Clark-Murray questioned whether ethnicity and swimming experience could be factors.
“I’m wondering about ethnicity. I’m wondering if those 31 people had actually taken swimming classes,” Clark-Murray said.
Suzi Teitelman, a Red Cross swim safety instructor in Jacksonville Beach, said the findings were not surprising.
“Half of my swim lessons are adults,” Teitelman said.
“It’s not surprising. It’s not surprising at all,” she added.
While adults ages 30 to 39 accounted for the most drowning deaths, JFRD also found children remain a significant concern.
According to the department, children younger than 10 accounted for nearly half of all drowning incidents, with children ages 0 to 4 representing 36%.
Teitelman said adults should be proactive.
“I speak to the parents that you got to become the coach like me. I’m giving you the exact movements and don’t forget them,” Teitelman said.
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