Hospital officials in Des Moines are urging parents of young children to get certified in CPR after seeing more cases of drowning-related incidents this summer. Dr. Ricardo Flores of Blank Children’s Hospital says at least 7 children have been treated in the past two weeks for drowning-related injuries in the Des Moines area, and there are other victims across the state. “We see drownings, near drownings every year, but this concentration of so many victims in a short amount of time, it’s scary,” Flores says.
He is the director of the children’s hospital pediatric intensive care unit. Flores say this concentration of incidents is unusual, even in the summer, but the wet weather may have something to do with it. “There’s lakes, ponds, natural rivers. Any of those are potential risks who are playing by them, especially if they’re unsupervised,” Flores says.
Flores also warns children are at risk of drowning at home in bathtubs or kiddie pools, and urges parents to stay vigilant when kids are in or near any type of water.