At a waterfront press conference held this afternoon at Glen Island Park, leaders from the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), Westchester County, and the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation joined forces to issue an urgent call to action: preventable drownings are on the rise — and communities must act now to stop them.
The event brought together David Lubarsky, MD, MBA, President and CEO of WMCHealth; Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins; and Kim and Stew Leonard, Jr. from the Foundation and Stewie the Duck Swim School. Together, they spotlighted a sharp increase in pediatric drownings across the region, underscoring the importance of water safety education, early swim instruction, and vigilant supervision during the summer season.
In 2024, the Network’s advanced care pediatric center and Level I pediatric trauma center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, treated 23 pediatric drowning cases, more than triple the historical average of 7–8 per year — a trend described by speakers as “deeply alarming.”
“We’re here today because something deeply alarming is happening in our communities,” said Dr. Lubarsky. “Last year, we saw 23 pediatric drowning emergencies across our trauma and emergency departments. That’s not a statistic — that’s 23 families forever changed. And that’s why we’re here: to stop this trend before it takes another life.”
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “As we look forward to a fun and festive Memorial Day Weekend, we know that many of you will be headed to one of our beautiful County beaches or gathering with family and friends around a pool at home. We want to remind everyone – parents, grandparents and caretakers – that the most important thing to remember this summer is the safety of your children. We all know too well that accidental drownings can happen within seconds, and sometimes those seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Westchester County is proud to stand with WMCHealth and the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation for this important initiative, to reduce the number of pediatric drowning incidents and prevent tragedies from occurring this summer.”
At the event, Kim and Stew Leonard, Jr., announced a $400,000 funding initiative in partnership with Step into Swim to offer free or low-cost swim lessons for underserved children at greater risk of drowning. These lessons will be provided through certified programs that meet American Red Cross safety standards. Swim lesson providers seeking funding should apply at StepIntoSwim.org.
“Until swimming lessons are part of every child’s school curriculum, it’s up to caregivers to make water safety a priority,” said Kim and Stew Leonard Jr., co-founders of the Foundation. “It starts with supervision, education, and teaching children to swim.”
Glen Island Park provided a fitting backdrop for the announcement — a place that embodies both the joys of summer and the need for heightened vigilance near water.
Key prevention strategies shared during the press conference included:
- Enrolling children in certified swim programs
- Using barriers like pool fences and covers
- Designating undistracted adult “Water Watchers”
- Educating children early using tools like the Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim book and app
The Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and emergency teams across WMCHealth are committed to both treatment and prevention, reinforcing their leadership in pediatric safety and public health education.
To learn more or to register for swim lessons, parents can contact:
[email protected]
For more information about Stewie the Duck’s educational programs and resources, visit: www.stewietheduck.org. Follow @StewieTheDuck on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram