After Losing Her Toddler to Drowning, a Florida Mother Turns Grief Into a Lifesaving Movement

By: Taryn Jacobs | UMTV Reporter

In Florida, water is everywhere – in the Everglades, in pools, canals, lakes, and along more than 1,300 miles of coastline. But in a state defined by sunshine and swimming, water also presents a sobering reality: Florida consistently leads the nation in childhood drownings.

For Broward County resident Casey McGovern, that statistic is not abstract.

In 2009, McGovern’s 19-month-old daughter, Edna Mae, drowned in the family’s backyard pool.

“From loading my car with groceries, driving home, unloading the groceries, starting to put the groceries away, to finding her,” McGovern recalled. “Then sitting in that hospital watching my daughter fight for her life for 29 minutes.”

Her daughter did not survive.

That day reshaped McGovern’s life and set her on a mission that has now spanned more than 16 years.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4 in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Health.

Recent state data show:

• 99 child drownings in 2023
• 106 in 2024
• 107 in 2025 – the highest number on record

And for every child who dies, experts estimate approximately eight more suffer non-fatal drowning injuries requiring resuscitation and medical care.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14.

In South Florida, where residential pools are common and children are exposed to water year-round, the danger can escalate quickly. Many drownings happen silently and in seconds.

“Drownings are preventable,” said Jim O’Connor, Chief of the Office of Drowning Prevention in Miami-Dade County. “And we really need to be able to prevent drownings here in Miami-Dade.”

After her daughter’s death, McGovern made a promise.

“Upon leaving her, I kissed her. And I made her a promise that I would do everything in my power to help other families never experience it,” she said. “Sixteen years later, we’re still going at it.”

She founded Every Child A Swimmer, a nonprofit that provides swimming lesson scholarships to families who cannot afford them. The organization now operates in 44 states and has helped nearly 3,000 children receive formal swimming instruction.

“I can’t bring my daughter back,” McGovern said. “But what motivates me is the power we have to save others.”

Her advocacy extends beyond scholarships. In 2021, she helped pass Florida legislation requiring schools to share water safety information and direct families to swim lesson resources. She is now working to replicate that model nationally.

“We know ‘stop, drop and roll’ is ingrained in our brains,” she said. “But nobody talks about water safety. My goal is to have water safety talked about the same way in schools.”

Research shows swimming lessons dramatically reduce risk.

According to the National Institutes of Health, formal swim lessons reduce drowning risk in children ages 1 to 4 by nearly 90%.

After losing her daughter, McGovern had another child. This time, swimming lessons began early.

“He was swimming like a motorboat kicking from one side of the pool to the next by his first birthday,” she said.

But advocates emphasize that swimming lessons alone are not enough. The CDC and water safety experts recommend a “layers of protection” approach:

• Constant, active adult supervision
• Four-sided pool fencing with self-latching gates
• Door alarms
• Removing flotation devices when not in use
• CPR training for caregivers

McGovern often uses a striking comparison to drive home the urgency. “I talk about the pool in the backyard very similar to having a loaded gun on your coffee table,” she said. “You would never do that with a toddler. You’ve got to think about the pool the same way.”

In Miami-Dade County, the Zero Drownings Initiative is addressing some access barriers that prevent families from enrolling children in lessons.

“We wanted to take away some of the barriers parents face,” O’Connor said. “One is cost so our program is completely free. The other is time so we transport children as a field trip.”

The initiative reports measurable outcomes: approximately 78% of participating children passed post-instruction swim safety tests last year.

Officials say eliminating cost and transportation obstacles is critical in underserved communities, where drowning rates are often higher.

The push for water safety education also reaches local government.

Christine King, Chairwoman of the City of Miami Commission, speaks about drowning prevention from personal experience.

“As a child, my mom took us to a Morningside pool every Sunday,” King recalled. “My brother and sister thought it would be funny to push me in, and I almost drowned. I’m still terrified of my head going underwater.”

For King, in a state surrounded by water, swim literacy is a necessity.

“It doesn’t make sense for anyone not to know how to swim in Florida,” she said. “We’re a peninsula. We have water on all sides of us.”

While beaches and pools symbolize Florida’s lifestyle, safety advocates stress that drowning is often quick, quiet, and preventable.

The CDC notes that drowning can happen in less than two minutes and often without splashing or screaming. Many incidents occur during brief lapses in supervision – while groceries are being unloaded, a phone rings, or someone steps inside for a moment.

For McGovern, that moment remains vivid.

“No matter what, your body remembers the trauma,” she said. “But on those tougher days, when someone says, ‘Your story helped us,’ that continues to drive me.”

Experts say addressing Florida’s drowning crisis requires:

• Universal access to swimming lessons
• Water safety education in schools
• Increased public awareness campaigns
• Community-based partnerships
• Stronger pool safety enforcement

As Florida continues to report record-high child drowning numbers, advocates argue the solution is not complicated, but it requires attention.

Education. Access. Supervision. Awareness.

For Casey McGovern, the mission is clear and deeply personal. She says she will continue working “until every child swims.”

And in a state where water defines daily life, that goal could mean the difference between tragedy and survival.