OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — This year so far, Osceola County has seen about 70 drowning-related calls. All but two have been for children under 18 years old. The calls are coming mainly from the west side of town, filled with resorts and rental homes.
Osceola County is putting up safety signs all over the county to target tourists.
What You Need To Know
- Pediatric drownings are happening mainly in the tourist-heavy area of Osceola County
- Akeisha Reese started the nonprofit Team Kareem Memorial Foundation in honor of her 5-year-old son, who drowned
- Reese is hosting the Team Kareem Gala: "A Wave of Hope After Tragedy" Sept. 4 to spread swimming education
Akeisha Reese, started a nonprofit called Team Kareem Memorial Foundation in honor of the drowning death of her 5-year-old son, Kareem. Reese provides swimming classes to children at no cost and supports the county as she, too, tries to bring awareness in her own way.
“No family will like to go through what I am going through every day,” Reese said.
In 2019, the number of drowning-related calls in Osceola County was only 25, within the same time frame as in 2021 so far.
“This is incredibly taxing on the staff that are here," Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS spokesperson Andrew Sullivan said. "It is very emotional to arrive on a scene and pull a child from the water."
Reese is hosting the Team Kareem Gala: “A Wave Of Hope After Tragedy” on Sept. 4 to spread swimming education. She is seeking donations and support from sponsors.
Osceola County is looking for businesses that will participate in spreading the word. For those wanting to publicize swim safety messaging digitally or on the exterior of your building, it recommends including #SwimSafelyOsceola. Osceola County intends to re-publish posts of businesses that upload pictures of their support on its Facebook page.