2-year-old girl dies in North Port drowning; swim instructor stresses prevention and CPR

NORTH PORT, Fla. (WINK) — A 2-year-old girl has died after a drowning incident at a North Port home, according to the North Port Police Department.

Police said officers responded to a report of a child drowning on Monday. While on scene, officers and emergency responders performed life-saving measures on the child, but she did not survive.

Further details about the circumstances surrounding the drowning and the location of the incident have not yet been released.

In a statement, the North Port Police Department said, “This is every parent’s worst nightmare and a call that impacts everyone involved. Our officers and EMS personnel did everything they could to save this little girl, but tragically, she did not survive.”

As investigators continue gathering information, water safety experts say incidents like this highlight the importance of early swim instruction, constant supervision and knowing CPR.

Emiro Perez, a swim instructor and head coach with more than a decade of experience, said one of the biggest challenges he faces is convincing parents that water safety education should begin early.

“I think my biggest challenge as an instructor is not even working with the kids or different personalities. " It's how i convince the parents that water safety is important,” Perez said.

Perez said drowning tragedies involving children continue to happen across Florida and are often preventable.

“Every time that happens something like this, i think about the parents,” Perez said. “It is at the end is parents' choices to put kids in swimming lessons.”

If a parent discovers a child struggling in the water, Perez said immediate action is critical.

“The first thing is go take the kid out of the water, and if they know basic cpr, this could be important,” Perez said.

He recalled a situation involving one of his students in which a parent used CPR after pulling a child from a pool, helping save the child's life before emergency medical care arrived.

Perez said water safety instruction can begin much earlier than many parents realize.

“Babies between six months and close to two years old, they can learn how to turn and float,” Perez said. “kids older than two years old, they can learn the swim float swim technique.”

Perez said stories like the North Port drowning are frustrating because he believes many can be prevented through education and preparation.

“It gets me frustrated because we could prevent that 100 percent,” Perez said.

He said community organizations are also stepping up to help. The Rotary Club of Southwest Florida is sponsoring one child each month in a swim class he teaches, helping more families gain access to water safety instruction.

WINK News has reached out to the North Port Police Department for additional information about the incident and is awaiting a response.