07/07/2026
This 4th of July weekend, Harris County (Houston area) saw 3 child drownings.
A five-year-old was in a pool full of people and drowned anyway. His mom and Aunt were on the other side of the pool when someone found him, unresponsive in the water. He later died.
An 8-year-old was found in a pool and is currently at the hospital. No further details are known at this time.
A 2-year-old and a 72-year-old were both found in a small pond with a walking path around it, in a neighborhood in Cypress. It’s the type of pond that is commonly found in neighborhoods across the city of Houston. Both died.
Friends, July sees more drownings every year in the USA than any other month.
These stories are the same ones that happen over and over again.
Yes, a child can drown in a crowded pool with lots of people around. When the pool is busy, all of the noise and activity hijacks attention away from a person who is drowning, because drownings are quiet and quick. Our brains are wired to give the most attention to the loudest, brightest, and fastest-moving things. Drowning is none of those things. Because of this, they are easy to miss. We just don't see them.
This is why you need to be close enough to your child at all times in and around water that you could reach your arm out and grab them if you needed to. This is why your child needs to know how to float on their back and wait for help. This is why you don’t rely on a lifeguard or friends or family to know where your child is. It is far too common that when everyone is supposed to be watching, no one is actually watching because everyone assumes someone else is doing it.
And yes, kids can drown in those ponds that back up to your backyard. If they do, it is even more dangerous than a pool, as you cannot see someone as clearly in natural water as you can in a pool.
This is why barriers are a must. Fences, locks, and alarms all help prevent a child from getting to that water. This is again why your child needs to know how to float on their back and wait for help if they do get into the water alone.
Drowning is fast, silent, and common, and we in the USA are in the worst month for it all year. If you haven’t been thinking about water safety before, you NEED to NOW!
