Two calls came into the Orange County Fire Rescue Department earlier today, each one from separate near-drowning incidents.

The first call around 1:30 this afternoon reported a three-year-old girl was found in a pool at Stonebridge Landing Apartments on Fort De Soto Street, said fire rescue officials. Firefighters arrived, transporting her to Arnold Palmer Hospital.

Nearly one hour later, a second call came into the fire station, reporting a woman who had been removed from a pool at Lakeshore Landings Mobile Home Park, according to fire rescue officials. Firefighters arrived and treated the patient, transporting her to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

These two incidents, including a child drowning yesterday, have prompted Orange County Firefighters to offer basic tips to the public to help safeguard themselves from drowning.

John Mulhall, Public Education Specialist with Orange County Fire Rescue, urges citizens to follow their ABC's while around waters. "A is for adult supervision, B is for barriers, and C is for CPR," said Mulhall.

It is important for children to be watched while in the pool, but most of the time "it's not a lack of supervision, but a lapse of supervision" that causes near-drowning, or drowning incidents, said Mulhall. The Orange County Fire Rescue Department advocates people to become "water-watchers," focusing on the people in the water and not becoming distracted.

Barriers should include 4-foot fences around any pool, and must have latches on any doors around the pool, or must include and alarm system, said Mulhall. It's also important to be CPR certified, in order to provide that assistance immediately if someone is in need in a body of water.

"Even if a life isn't lost...it's very important that we don't even allow near-drowning to occur," said Mulhall. He offers one last piece of advice to swimmers, "never swim alone, always swim with a buddy."

By Hannah Coffman

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