JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Children drownings in Florida have officially broken a state record.
Ahead of New Year’s, experts are warning to keep a close eye on your kids with autism who tend to wander.
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Just last week, two 2-year-olds wandered out of their homes. One drowned in a pool and the other in a pond.
Breaking a record, 103 children have drowned this year in Florida.
Autism Society of Florida President Stacey Hoaglund says 61% of the kids between ages four and 18 who drowned this year were diagnosed with autism.
“Not one parent ever thought that it could happen to them,” Hoaglund said.
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Hoagland said children with autism are drawn to water.
Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than other kids. And 91% of them happen because they wandered away from safety.
Action News Jax spoke to a mother of a child with autism.
“It was a constant fear of him. You couldn’t turn your back. Always somebody had to be with him,” Shannon Hube said.
Hube takes every precaution with her son Brock: swim lessons, door alarms, fencing, and locks.
“Believe me, we’ve had every precaution in the world, and he has still gotten out of the house. And it’s scary… it’s not that the parents are bad, it’s just that kids are quick, and it happens in a quick second,” Hube said.
Hube urges everyone to be extra cautious during the holidays.
The Autism Society of Florida iscurrently working to address the problems and find solutions including legislation.
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