First responders push for water safety after multiple emergencies in the DMV

This Fourth of July weekend there were several water related emergencies across the DMV and first responders are stressing the importance of water safety as the summer months press on I think across the United States we average drownings per day across the United States and of those of those are typically children revealed Prince George s County Fire and EMS Assistant Chief Donald Fletcher According to the Virginia Department of Wellness six children under the age of five have lost their lives to swimming pool drownings in Virginia since Memorial Day between and nearly people accidentally drowned in Virginia Nearly a fifth of them were under the age of On the Fourth of July first responders rescued five men after a boat flipped over near the Washington Monument On Saturday night D C fire and EMS also rescued another person from the Potomac River near the Key Bridge They were taken to a hospital in critical condition Saturday afternoon Prince George s County Fire and EMS responded to a region pool on Golf Module Drive in Bowie for a near drowning A -year-old boy was rescued and taken to the hospital in critical condition Then on Sunday in Hyattsville crews were called to another pool at a gated apartment complex where a boy was exposed unresponsive and died Also on Sunday someone was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries after an matter at the World War II Memorial A spokesperson for the National Mall revealed the person had a biological urgency around a m They declared the individual was in the water at the memorial Agents have closed the Memorial while the National Park Arrangement and U S Park Police investigate News is still working to learn more about that victim s condition How to stay safe near water News spoke with Fletcher about key water safety reminders The best thing you can do for a child is teach them how to swim he explained There should be a one to one ratio of adult supervision while children are swimming and that the adult should be within arm s reach for families with pools at home according to Fletcher Make sure the pool is enclosed with a gate he reported Once they re out of the pool ensure the toys are removed from the pool deck so they don t find themselves wandering around the pool deck and maybe tripping to get back in He added that nearly all drowning incidents are preventable and that the fire department offers free hands-only CPR classes to residents