Photo caption: Shirley Harold (left), the grandmother of J’mari Johnson, a toddler who drown last March, poses with Sheriff Al Lamberti and Community Activist Carolyn Harvey after BSO’s launch of their Drowning Prevention campaign.

Shirley Harold of Lauderhill is grieving. Her great-grandson, J’Mari Johnson, 2, drowned in her backyard pool two months ago, adding to Broward’s grimly high rate of accidental child drownings.

"This has totally devastated me and my family", said Harold, 53. "If I can prevent this from happening to one other child, I would be happy."

At a news conference Wednesday at the Broward Sheriff’s Office headquarters, the law enforcement agency announced efforts to step up warning about accidental drownings of children under age 5.

Florida leads the nation in the drowning rate of children ages 1 to 4, and Broward has the highest rate in the state.

So far in 2008, five children have drowned in backyard pools and one drowned after falling into a canal.

"It’s a tragic problem that can be prevented, " Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti said.
BSO, Children’s Service Council of Broward County and the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County are spending about $60,000 on the campaign.

Volunteers in crimson T-Shirts will hang door hangers and pass out flyers about child drowning.

Story By: Natalie  P. McNeal
Source: The Miami Herald

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