Drowning Prevention: What You Need To Know In Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — There is something more dangerous than swimming with sharks in Southern California.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in kids younger than 5 years old, the Orange County Drowning Prevention task force reported. One such family remembers their son Jasper, who would have been 5 on June 2. Instead, he drowned before his second birthday.

Julie Lopiccolo began the Jasper Ray Foundation For Drowning Prevention and Child Safety following Jasper's death. She recently posted on their Facebook page that instead of sharing pictures of her son blowing out birthday candles, she instead is forced to post an image of him frozen in time.

On June 1, Julie Lopiccolo joined the Newport Beach Lifeguards and members of the Orange County Drowning Prevention Task Force to discuss the upcoming summer, water safety and what you can do to help others be safe doing what southern Californians love best: swim in the many pools and vast Pacific Ocean this summer.

"Always watch the water," Lopiccolo said.

Already in 2017, there have been 22 incidents of drowning reported by the task force. Of those, 12 were fatal incidents. This year, the most recent drownings have not been children but in those 15-years-old and older, the OC Drowning Prevention Task Force said.

In order to combat the silent killer, the Orange County Drowning Prevention Task Force is working with the media to educate all on the dangers of drowning — not just for babies and young children, but for teens and adults, as well.

Three years ago, Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson lost his life in the line of duty, saving another from drowning. Now, his larger-than-life statue looks out over the Newport Beach coastline in a message to all to watch the water this summer.

Read: ABC's of Drowning Prevention will Save Lives in SOCal [VIDEO]

"If Ben were here, he would encourage us to not be paralyzed by fear, but would caution us to be well prepared with common dangers, such as riptides and swimming alone," said Carlson's father, Chris Carlson.

Lopiccolo, who shared the tragedy of her 21-month-old toddler who drowned while at a babysitter's pool gave an impassioned plea for something that seems so simple yet is often ignored.

"You have to watch the water when your children are present," Lopiccolo said. "It doesn't matter how well they know how to swim. It doesn't matter how many people are at the barbecue or party or beach. There has to be a designated water watcher who does nothing but watch the water."

Orange County Supervisor and Drowning Prevention Task Force committee member Todd Spitzer talked about two messages for everyone to pay attention to when at a pool or the beach.

"Always watch the water. And for people over 50 years old? never swim alone," Spitzer said.

The numbers in 2017 show that the majority of fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents this year have been older victims, from 15 to 65 years old and up.

"Never think you are better than the ocean," said Kayleigh Gilchrist, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer. "Have consistent awareness of your surroundings, your friends and yourself in order to have a successful day in the water."

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