Drowning prevention resources available in Sonoma County

Nadina Riggsbee, president of the Bay Area-Based Drowning Prevention Foundation, said drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4.

“Drowning is quick, and there’s no howling or crying or screaming or splashing,” Riggsbee said. “They just go silently down to the bottom, and that’s the end of it.”

From 1991 to 2013, 177 people in Sonoma County drowned, according to the latest figures from the California Department of Public Health. Press Democrat records show an additional nine drownings have occurred in the past two years.

Fifteen of those 186 were between the ages of 1 and 4.

Riggsbee got involved with drowning prevention work after her own experience. She and her husband were out to dinner, and their children Samira and JJ were home with a babysitter. The sitter opened the patio door to let the dog outside, before going to the bathroom. That’s when 2-year-old Samira and 14-month-old JJ fell into the backyard pool. Samira died, but JJ survived with severe brain damage.

“He just turned 39, and he still requires around-the-clock nursing,” Riggsbee said.

The foundation recommends an adult be designated a “water watcher,” to keep an eye on pool activities. Riggsbee also recommends parents consider a “survival class” that teaches young children to flip and float on their backs until a caretaker realizes they’re not where they’re supposed to be.