‘Drowning prevention is everyone's race’: Organizations boost water safety awareness
People would tell you you can’t miss what you never had, Kiwana Denson says. But she carries within her a profound ache for the moments she knows she'll never experience — the applause as her eldest son dominates the college basketball court, the sight of him exchanging vows, the joy of watching him raise his own children.
She's determined to spare other parents this heartache through The Je’Sani Smith Foundation, which was created in honor of her late son. Je’Sani Smith was swept away by a rip current at Whitecap Beach on April 11, 2019, eight days after his 18th birthday. The foundation provides education, awareness and water skills training on beach safety.
“Especially the first three years, it was very challenging,” said Denson, founder and president of The Je’Sani Smith Foundation. “Literally, I would have to put one toe on the floor and say, ‘I'm gonna get out of this bed today and go to work.’ But we were out on the beach advocating.”
Rep. Todd Hunter wrote two pieces of legislation which were passed in 2021 in honor of Smith. April is now designated as Beach Safety and Rip Current Awareness month. Additionally, the Je’Sani Smith Act increased lifeguard presence from Memorial Day to Labor Day and added informational signs to improve safety on Texas public beaches.
“We’ve been very successful,” Denson said. “For the last two years, there have been zero rip current related fatalities on our beach in Nueces County. I believe in my heart the two pieces of legislation is one of the reasons why.”
Drowning is the top cause of accidental death for children under the age of 5 and a leading cause for ages 1-17. There were 90 child drownings in the state in 2023.
Jeff and Jana Holst, graduates of Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, lost their 4-year-old son Colin when he tragically drowned in a lifeguarded pool in 2008. It wasn’t until after their son’s death that they learned more about the prominence of child drowning. Two months after the loss, the Holsts founded Colin’s Hope to educate parents, caregivers and children to prevent drowning.
“It then became our mission to make sure that all families were armed with this information before they went through the same tragedy we did,” the Holsts said in a statement.
Colin had completed swimming lessons the day before. Jennifer Poteat, executive director of Colin’s Hope, emphasized swimming classes are only one layer of protection.
“By knowing that no one is drown-proof, you know to begin to watch,” Poteat said. “If you assume that ‘just because my child has had swimming lessons, then I don't have to watch.’ That's not always the case.”
Regardless of swimming experience or what body of water someone enters, Poteat said parental supervision is still key.
“Drowning is fast; it can happen in 20 to 60 seconds,” Poteat said. “That's just looking at your phone and checking text messages.”
Last year, there were 24 children who drowned in bathtubs in Texas. Colin’s Hope saw the urgency to address this issue and now offers resources, such as a clear ruler, that reminds parents to stop the bathtub water at the 2-inch mark.
“We know that children can drown in as little as two inches,” Poteat said. “Never ever walk away, not for a door, not for a towel, not for anything. It can wait. If you do have to walk away, take the child with you.”
Colin’s Hope offers water safety education and brings awareness through billboards and advertisements.
“Since 2008, we have seen the positive impact of our efforts throughout Central Texas and beyond,” the Holsts said in a statement. “Colin's light continues to shine brightly as we create a culture of water safety and help prevent childhood drowning.”
Similarly, The Je’Sani Smith Foundation hopes to increase attention to water safety awareness.
The Je’Sani Smith Foundation is hosting its third annual Surviving the Rip 5K/10K Run Walk on Saturday, April 6 at Dolphin Park at North Beach starting at 8 a.m. The event will serve as a fundraiser to continue doing outreach work and spread beach safety awareness.
"We want to give people information about beach and rip current safety,” Denson said. “And then they will begin to own that, and it'll become a habit just like putting on the seatbelt when they get into the car.”
“Drowning prevention is everyone's race, because then it becomes the next family's nightmare, and that’s what we’re trying to prevent,” Denson said. “Don’t wait until it happens, take in as much information as you can, so it doesn’t happen to your family – because it certainly can.”
For information on beach safety visit https://www.jesanismithfoundation.org/
For information on water safety visit https://www.colinshope.org/
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Organizations boost water safety awareness efforts
