A summer-long water safety campaign led by USA Health reached more than 1,150 children and families across the Mobile and Baldwin county area, pairing hands-on education with the distribution of more than 565 free life jackets to help prevent drownings.
The effort was organized by the pediatric outreach education team at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital and was funded through a grant from the Gulf Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council. Organizers focused the program on communities along the bays and bayous of the Alabama Gulf Coast, where waterways are woven into daily life.
The stakes behind the effort are significant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates roughly 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths and another 8,000 non-fatal drownings happen nationwide each year. Because a child can drown in as little as an inch of water, health officials stress that constant, close supervision remains the single most important safeguard.
Bringing Lessons to Summer Camps
As part of the outreach, hospital staff visited several area summer camps, including Light of the Village, Camp Peace, and the Fuse Spark program at Florence Howard Elementary School. Using interactive skits, staff walked campers through core water safety habits: walking rather than running near the water, always swimming with a buddy, staying within sight of a trusted adult or lifeguard, and getting out of the water immediately when severe weather rolls in.
Children also learned to recognize rip currents, understand what the different colored beach warning flags mean, and know how to call for help in an emergency. Every participant went home with a water safety activity book, and caregivers received “water watcher” lanyards meant to designate one adult as the dedicated lookout during swim time. Kids were also fitted for life jackets bearing the hospital’s logo.
Courtney Thomson, RNC-NIC, who leads the hospital’s pediatric education outreach efforts, said the initiative gave staff a rare chance to engage with families before an emergency happens rather than after.
“It was a lot of fun getting staff involved in this community initiative. We spend most of our time helping at the hospital when something bad happens in the water. This initiative allowed us to get involved in the community and teach safety skills in a fun way that got the kids excited about water safety.”
Beyond the Camps
The summer camp visits were just one piece of a broader push. The team also held child safety days in both Mobile and Baldwin counties, led story times at Mobile County libraries, took part in community baby showers, and ran a specialized water safety session for neurodivergent children at the USA Regional Autism Network Disabilities Fair.
With summer swimming season still underway, organizers say the free life jackets and safety lessons are intended to keep the momentum going well past the camp calendar, giving Gulf Coast families tools they can use at the pool, the beach, or the bayou for years to come.