The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is sounding the alarm for Tampa Bay families after a worrying streak of water incidents involving the county’s youngest residents. On Wednesday, deputies urged parents and caregivers to "stay safe on the water" following 17 reported drowning incidents involving children under age 5 in Hillsborough County since 2025. Five of those incidents were fatal. With warmer weather pushing more families to pools, canals and boats, the agency is pressing residents to double-check their safety routines and supervision.
In a reminder posted on X, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office told residents to keep a close eye on children, use appropriate safety gear and look out for one another. The message was framed as part of the routine water-safety outreach from deputies who patrol shorelines and neighborhood waterways, but the recent numbers give it extra urgency.
State Numbers Show a Larger Trend
The concern stretches well beyond one county. A 2026 Florida House bill analysis, citing Department of Health figures, reports that child drowning deaths statewide rose to 112 in 2025 from 106 in 2024 and notes that drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death for children 5 and under in Florida. The analysis highlights how heavily the burden falls on very young children and stresses prevention strategies that focus on swim lessons and multiple, overlapping layers of protection.
County and Community Prevention Efforts
Hillsborough County officials have been leaning into prevention ahead of summer. The county’s Safe Pools Day sends code-enforcement teams out to inspect barriers, gates and drain covers in an effort to cut down on hazards at backyard and community pools. The Children’s Board has also been promoting swim lessons and straightforward steps like designating an adult "water watcher" whose only job is to keep eyes on the kids.
How Families Can Reduce Risk
Public-health guidance emphasizes that there is no single magic fix, only layers of protection that work together. Those include constant, focused adult supervision, four-sided fencing with self-latching gates around backyard pools, properly fitted life jackets for kids while boating and formal swim lessons for toddlers when they are developmentally ready. The Centers for Disease Control notes that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and points to swim lessons, life jackets and close supervision as proven ways to prevent it. State programs are expanding voucher and outreach efforts to help more families access lessons.
Who to Call
If you see a water hazard, witness an incident or have information for deputies, contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (813) 247-8200, or call 911 in an immediate emergency. For more details on pool safety and local inspection programs, residents can consult county resources and Children’s Board guidance.
Officials say that simple, consistent steps, and neighbors looking out for one another, can make the difference between a close call and a tragedy for the county’s youngest residents.
