{"id":420,"date":"2026-05-21T11:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=420"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:14","slug":"honolulu-ems-warns-of-alarming-spike-in-near-drownings-involving-keiki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=420","title":{"rendered":"Honolulu EMS warns of alarming spike in near drownings involving keiki"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) &#8211; Honolulu EMS is asking the community to be vigilant around the water, especially when it comes to keiki.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=418\">Commission selects David Lazar as Honolulu\u2019s new police chief<\/a><\/p>\n<p>First responders have seen an alarming rise in non-fatal pediatric drowning calls, and they are using National EMS Week to shed light on a recent spike.<\/p>\n<p>EMS leaders held a press conference with officials from the state health department and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, Wednesday morning, to address the issue. <\/p>\n<p>Since the start of 2026, Honolulu EMS has already responded to 12 non-fatal drowning calls for children, nearly double the amount at the same time last year.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cNine of these were in swimming pools, one was in a hot tub, and two were in the ocean,\u201d said Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Jim Ireland. \u201cAnd really just one of these is too many. These are one of the most traumatic and difficult calls for people, paramedics, EMTs, and EMS to go through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A nonfatal pediatric drowning is defined as a child surviving after being submerged underwater for too long, often requiring emergency medical treatment to restore breathing. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are preventable emergencies, where a child is left unsupervised in or near a body of water,\u201d Ireland said. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=416\">Kauai Fire Department holds blessing for new rescue vehicles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>As families head into summer, EMS wants everyone to enjoy Hawaii\u2019s waters safely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlways be within arms reach of weak swimmers around water, and put the phone away. Your attention will keep them alive and if a small child goes missing, make sure to check the water first,\u201d said Sarah Fairchild, co-founder of the Hawaii Water Safety Coalition.<\/p>\n<p>Water safety experts recommend taking the following precautions to help keep keiki safe around water and avoid a drowning incident. <\/p>\n<p>Call 911 immediately if a child gets into trouble in the water. An EMS dispatcher can provide instructions while waiting for paramedics and EMTs to arrive.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cEvery drowning death is a tragedy, and many of these losses can be prevented through simple, common-sense safety measures,\u201d said Amanda Allison, Public Health Educator for drowning prevention for the Hawaii State Department of Health. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cConstant and close supervision, learning basic swimming and water safety skills, using layers of protection such as pool barriers and life jackets, and never swimming alone can make the difference,\u201d said Amanda Allison, Public Health Educator for drowning prevention for the Hawaii State Department of Health. \u201cA few moments of preparation and attention will save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=414\">HPU adds women\u2019s flag football, first collegiate program in Hawaii<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since the start of 2026, Honolulu EMS has already responded to 12 non-fatal drowning calls for children, nearly double the amount at the same time last year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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