North Texas Could See Record For Near-Drownings

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NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - This summer could be on track to set a dangerous record for near-drownings.

Already this month, Children's Health and Cook Children's hospitals report a combined 35 near drownings and 4 fatal drownings. That's more than one close call a day and more than 1 death a week.

"It breaks my heart. I start to cry," says Children's Health Lori Johnson.

Johnson's daughter, Jessica, was three when she nearly died.

"My husband turned his attention away from the pool for two seconds," says Johnson.

They missed seeing Jessica return from the bathroom and plunge back into the pool without her puddle jumper.

Her older brother spotted her floating underwater.

"He came up and just started screaming, 'Jessica's dead at the bottom of the pool' and just screaming hysterically. I remember thinking, 'What? That's not even possible. She just went to the bathroom,' " said Johnson.

Once Johnson's daughter was out of the water, her mother was devastated by what she saw.

"She was already blue. She was already swollen. She had no heartbeat. She wasn't breathing."

The director of the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance, Linda DeSanders, teaches children to float on their backs, turn and grab a wall, and never swim alone. And she teaches parents to properly supervise their children.

"Get in the water with your kid. A lot of parents don't get in the water with their kid. If they were right next to them they'd know they were struggling," she says.

Johnson credits her daughter's survival to one thing.

"She would not have survived if I hadn't learned CPR, and I was the only one here that day who knew CPR."

Now five years old, Jessica is doing well.

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