Brooklyn Politicians Will Push For Water Safety Education To Prevent Drownings
Following New York City’s sixth drowning death on public property this season, Borough President Eric Adams is calling for a trio of reforms to prevent future drownings.
Adams made the proposals during a press conference yesterday on the Coney Island boardwalk, just yards away from where 10-year-old Takara McDuffy was pulled from the water on Tuesday and pronounced dead.
Alongside Councilmember Mark Treyger, who represents Coney Island, Adams pushed for water safety reforms to be made at both the city and state levels.
The centerpiece of his proposal is an initiative to require water safety and swimming education in all schools. Adams’ office said they’re working with Coney Island’s State Senator Diane Savino to push the measure in Albany. The proposal would require teaching about the dangers posed by water and provide swimming lessons beginning in the second grade.
“Although it’s a beautiful place to be, it could be a very dangerous place if we’re not taught how to be safe in the environment,” said Adams. “Because there’s no clear format of teaching water safety, our children and families are recklessly going to the water’s edge believing that this beautiful ocean is a toy.”
McDuffy’s life might have been saved with such knowledge, Adams suggested. The 10-year-old had been playing on the jetty at Stillwell Avenue after lifeguards went off-duty; she and her sister, neither of whom knew how to swim, fell into the water. Good Samaritans spotted them struggling and dove in, but only McDuffy’s nine-year-old sister could be saved.
Adams and Treyger are also calling for increased enforcement on beaches after closing. Treyger said he wants to see the Parks Department boost the number of Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officers, and task them with ordering beachgoers out of the water once lifeguards go off-duty.
“We need more PEP officers, not just simply volunteers,” said Treyger. “Particularly when the beach is closed and swimming is over, patrol the beaches to make sure there are no children or families left in the water.”
The Parks Department already has 15 PEP officers stationed on Brighton Beach and Coney Island beach, according to PIX11.
The borough president’s office said they’re also pushing to require CPR training for every city worker, which could provide a veritable army of trained lifesavers across the five boroughs. A drowning or choking victim can be spared death or brain damage by cutting CPR response time by as little as two minutes, and increasing the number of people trained to provide assistance could drastically reduce response time.
Adams’ staff is looking at legislative options to make the training mandatory.
Photo by David Tan