Pasco community leaders send warning after near drownings

BAYONET POINT (FOX 13) - First responders are saying they’ve had enough after another near-drowning incident in Pasco County.

Pasco Fire Rescue says it has received a drastically high number of drowning-related calls for 2018.

Around 5:30 Monday evening, first responders were called to an apartment complex off of Little Road after a child was found unresponsive. The little boy was rushed to a hospital where he's being treated.

In 2018, Pasco Fire Rescue has responded to 14 possible drowning calls. Six of them turned out to be fatal.

Corey Dierdorff with Pasco Fire Rescue says drowning-related calls are one of the worst things to respond to because it’s easily preventable.

"It’s children that weren’t being watched, and that’s the message we want to get out. When you're around the water, don’t assume someone is watching your child,” Dierdorff said.

Barbecues and parties are when it happens the most.

Dr. Joseph Perno with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Pete treats drowning victims from across the Bay Area.

"It's almost a daily occurrence, unfortunately,” Perno said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Dierdorff says gates, fences, door alarms, and swimming lessons are steps parents and guardians can take to prevent a drowning, but having someone designated to watch your children around the pool is the most important.