Child dead after Port Charlotte drowning, how lawmakers are trying to save lives

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WINK) — A child is dead after a drowning at a Port Charlotte home Tuesday, as Florida continues to see a high number of child drownings each year.

Charlotte County deputies and Fire & EMS responded to a home on Conreid Drive just after 11:15 a.m. for a reported drowning involving a child. When crews arrived, CPR was already in progress. First responders began advanced life-saving measures, but the child did not survive.

Due to patient privacy laws, officials have not released additional information about the child.

Neighbors told WINK Investigates the home is used as a vacation rental, and they did not recognize the family staying there.

“I'm sure the mother and father's worst nightmare. Very sorry to hear it for everyone involved,” said neighbor Karen Verber. “I'm sorry for the family, and I'm sure for the owner of the Airbnb, it is a headache and a tragedy.”

The incident comes as Florida continues to report a high number of child drownings. According to the Florida Department of Health, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4 in Florida, and the state has the highest child drowning death rate in the nation.

Data from the Florida Department of Children and Families shows more than 100 children drowned in 2025 alone.

State lawmakers introduced several bills this legislative session aimed at preventing drownings. 

Senate Bill 606 and House Bill 503 focused on requiring the Florida Department of Health to develop and distribute drowning prevention education to new parents. While SB 606 ultimately did not pass as a standalone bill, its language was later merged into another piece of legislation that passed both chambers.

House Bill 117 would have strengthened residential pool safety requirements tied to home sales. It died in the house.

Another proposal, Senate Bill 658, targeted rental and vacation properties by requiring safety features like pool barriers, alarms, or self-latching doors. That bill passed the Florida Senate unanimously but stalled in the House.

“It’s painfully obvious that more work needs to be done,” said State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith. “We have already been made aware of multiple tragic cases where children have fatally drowned on vacation rental and short-term residential rental properties.”

One bill did make it through both chambers — Senate Bill 428.

Senate Bill 428 would expand Florida’s swimming lesson voucher program, which helps cover the cost of swim lessons. The program currently covers children up to age 4, but if signed into law, eligibility would expand to children ages 1 through 7.

The bill also requires drowning prevention education materials to be provided to new parents through hospitals and caregivers.

“This is a very important step forward for our state on drowning prevention,” Smith said. “Florida is number one in the nation for fatal child drownings.”

He added that while progress was made, more action is needed. Smith says efforts to expand safety requirements—especially for rental properties—will likely return next session.

“We know that there’s so much more to do to prevent child drownings in the state of Florida,” Smith said. “We’re ready to get to work again next year.” 

The bill is expected to be sent to Governor Ron DeSantis in the coming weeks, where he will decide whether to sign it into law.

As for the Port Charlotte case, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about what led to the drowning. WINK News has requested the incident report and will provide updates as more information becomes available.