Blake and Kathy Collingsworth share the heartbreaking story of their son Joshua's drowning and how it inspired them to create the Josh the Otter water safety program. They wrote a children's book called Josh the Baby Otter to teach kids about water safety and distributed it through Rotary clubs. They also developed a free app with the book and water safety activities. Their mission is to raise awareness about the number one cause of death for children aged one to four and promote water safety education. The conversation with them focused on the importance of water safety and the efforts of the Josh the Otter Foundation to educate children and parents about drowning prevention. Collingsworth discussed the need for children to learn essential water survival skills, such as back floating, and emphasized the role of parents in ensuring their child's safety. They also highlighted the expansion of the Float for Life program, which teaches children as young as six months old to back float. Additionally, they discussed the foundation's collaborations with organizations like the Autism Family Network and the impact of their work in preventing drownings among children with disabilities. The conversation concluded with a discussion of upcoming events and the foundation's goals for the future.

keywords

drowning, water safety, children, book, education, awareness, prevention, water safety, drowning prevention, Josh the Otter Foundation, Float for Life, back floating, survival skills, children, parents, education, collaborations, Autism Family Network, disabilities, events, goals

takeaways

• Drowning is the number one cause of death for children aged one to four.
• Water safety education is crucial in preventing drownings.
• The Josh the Otter program uses a children's book and app to teach kids about water safety.
• Rotary clubs have been instrumental in distributing the book and promoting water safety.
• Parents should have conversations with their children about water safety and always supervise them near water. Children should learn essential water survival skills, such as back floating, to prevent drowning.
• Parents play a crucial role in ensuring their child's water safety and should be diligent in supervising them around water.
• The Float for Life program teaches children as young as six months old to back float and has seen significant growth and demand.
• The Josh the Otter Foundation collaborates with organizations like the Autism Family Network to provide water safety education for children with disabilities.
• The foundation's efforts have led to a decrease in drowning incidents and the inclusion of water safety education in school curriculums.
• The foundation relies on partnerships, collaborations, and volunteers to support their mission of saving lives through water safety education.