The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says adults need to be vigilant about monitoring children who are playing in and around water. The recent deaths of three Kansas children due to drowning demonstrate the need for increased supervision during summer swimming season, according to State Epidemiologist Charlie Hunt.
Hunt says that when children are in the water, parents should stay away from things that can cause distraction, such as using cell phones or having conversations with other people. He says death certificates received by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment indicate three children under the age of 11 have died in swimming pools since the beginning of May. Overall, there have been six drowning deaths in 2012.