A Martin County family is grieving the loss of their 1-year-old daughter after she died in a tragic pool drowning incident in Jensen Beach.
The infant was under the care of a grandparent who lost track of the her and called 911. While on the phone, dispatchers asked the grandparent — who was going from room-to-room in the home searching — to check the pool, according to reporting from the Treasure Coast News.
Emergency responders were called out to the home around 3:30 p.m. where they found the grandparent administering CPR to the infant. The 1-year-old was taken to Cleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital in Stuart, Florida, where she later died.
This is the third such incident in that area in as many weeks and adults were nearby in all three cases, according to local media.
On June 14, emergency responders were called out to the 3400 block of Southeast Hawthorne Street in Stuart for a 5 -year-old boy who had drowned in a neighbor’s pool.
The day before, on June 13, emergency responders went to a home in the 900 block of Southeast Marts Street in Hobe Sound for a 2-year-old who died after drowning in a pool.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told reporters that many members of the emergency personnel teams who responded to these similar and tragic calls are the same people.
“They are dealing with the emotional scars of having to see that,” he said.
Leesfield & Partners
Parents all over the country will remember the juice boxes, the sunblock and their kids’ swim goggles when they head out to the pool this summer, but no one wants to remember the devastating reality — a pool day can quickly turn into a nightmare. And it happens quicker than one might think.
A child’s lungs can quickly fill with water in as little as 30 seconds, or less, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Oftentimes, it can happen without very much noise or splashing that would indicate to an adult that a child is in distress. There are approximately over 4,500 unintentional drowning deaths in the U.S. every year, according to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
Leesfield & Partners, a personal injury law firm, has represented numerous families who have lost their loved ones in tragic drowning incidents. In nearly 50 years of representing these victims and their families, our attorneys have secured multiple record verdicts and settlements on behalf of these clients.
As a Florida-based firm with offices in tourist hot-spots such as Miami, Key West and Orlando, Leesfield & Partners knows just how prevalent this safety issue is within the state.
Data from the Florida Department of Health shows that approximately enough children under the age of 5 years old drown in the state every year to fill several classrooms. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 years old, according to the Safe Children Coalition, an organization dedicated to promoting education and awareness surrounding this pressing issue. There were about 60 drowning deaths in the state for the first half of 2024, according to the latest available data. Of the 60 people who tragically lost their lives, about 46 of them were children.
In an ongoing case, Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Eric Shane, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a family whose 2-year-old drowned at a Central Florida pool.
With summer in full swing and tourists continuing to make their annual trips to Florida — many with children in tow — Leesfield & Partners recognizes the vital importance of drowning prevention strategies: swimming instruction, secure pool environments and constant supervision of young children.
Previous Cases
Leesfield & Partners obtained a historic settlement in a case involving a swimming pool incident at a Hotel Resort Orlando in Osceola County. In that case, our client’s son was swimming when he was caught in the suction of the pool’s drain. The child could not be removed because the hotel failed to have an emergency shut off switch.
For nearly 10 minutes, our client’s child remained underwater. As a result, he was later diagnosed with brain damage that would require life-long medical care. This case, which was handled by Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, is the largest result of its kind in Osceola County.
One family was forever changed when a father and husband lost his wife and two young daughters due to the U.S. Navy’s failure to maintain its pier in a safe condition.
“Ivan Grayson, tormented by the mind-numbing horror of the tragedy that wiped his family from the face of the earth, desperately needs to know why this happened,” U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King said of the case.
Grayson was awarded $2.95 million for the loss of his family.
Previously, the firm secured a seven-figure settlement for a family whose toddler drowned in South Florida. In that case, an inadequately installed child safety fence around the pool was found at the home.
Previously, the firm secured a $575,000 settlement in the drowning death of a man against a Florida boat tour company.
Safety Tips
While no amount of preparation or safety equipment can fully protect a family from tragedy, being informed and ready to act in an emergency can significantly reduce response time — and may even save lives.
As summer vacation approaches and more children spend time in and around the water, it’s important for parents and guardians to review essential safety practices in advance.
Below are several key tips to help keep your family safe. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. For the most up-to-date information, please consult your local safety organizations or swim safety authorities.
Keep toys away from the pool when not in use to prevent children from falling into the water when potentially trying to reach for them.
- Always completely remove a pool cover before jumping in to use the pool.
- Make sure all external doors leading to a pool area or body of water like a lake or ocean are equipped with proper locks and alarms that way, even if a child manages to unlock the door, you will know that it has been opened.
- Dress children in brightly colored swimsuits so that, if the unthinkable happens, they are easier to spot in the water.
- Never leave a child unattended near a body of water.
- Children who cannot swim should always wear a life vest and be in the water with an adult.
- All pools should be equipped with child safety fences and locks.
- Invest in swimming classes and water safety courses for children and adults. No one expects tragedy but knowing what to do in case of an emergency can save a life.
- Take a CPR course to know what to do in case of an emergency.