Near drownings lead to important reminder ahead of summer

EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) — Two young sisters, just four and six years old, are still in the hospital almost a week after nearly drowning in an Edmond backyard pool. The incident now leads to important reminders heading into the summer months.

On Friday, emergency vehicles surrounded the entrance to the Oak Tree neighborhood.

The police report shows the sisters were pulled from the deep end of a backyard pool, unconscious, and not breathing.

The report also explains that the girls were being watched, but that person walked away long enough for them to find themselves in trouble.

YMCA Downtown Director, Tommy Jauch, said May is water safety month and Oklahoma ranks eighth in childhood drownings.

According to the State Health Department, for those between the ages of one and four, drowning is the leading cause of death.

The tragedy in Edmond now leads to a reminder for parents, heading into the summer months, to pay close attention to young children around water.

"You always want to have a parent or guardian designated as a water watcher that is specifically just watching kids that are swimming like... They're not on their phone," said Tommy Jauch.

Jauch said it's also good to continuously get kids comfortable with the water.

"Learning how to safely get in and out of the water. Learning stroke mechanics. And then definitely, like, if they're not strong or confident swimmers, we require life jackets," said Jauch.

Also keep this in the back of your mind, anyone can slip and fall under water in less than ten seconds.

"It can be silent like it's they might not always be yelling for help. So it's just having to be a vigilant watcher," said Jauch.

According to a Go Fund Me page, the girls are recovering. The post said they're getting around the clock care.