Health Officials say drowning can happen in as little as 20 seconds — no splashing, no yelling, no warning. This summer, Virginia health officials are urging parents to act after child pool drowning deaths reached a high point in 2025.
The Virginia Department of Health reported 12 children between the ages of 0 and 4 died from drowning in pools in 2025 — the highest number in the last 6 years. Several of those deaths occurred in the Hampton Roads area.
This summer, at least 2 local children have died in the water — a 2-year-old in Hampton and a child in the Kempsville section of Virginia Beach and another child died in March.
Between 2020 and 2024, 473 Virginians died from drowning. More than half of those deaths happened in natural waters like rivers, lakes, and oceans.
"Drowning is real, it happens, and it can happen to anyone, anytime, you know, anywhere that there is water," VDH Environmental Health Coordinator Briana Bill said.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kim Bianchi knows that loss firsthand. Her daughter, Gabriella, was 2.5 years old when she drowned in a pool in 2019. The family lovingly called her Bean.
"She was energetic, loving and caring. She made your life so much better," Bianchi said.
"It is not like it is in the movies. It's not splashing. There's not a lot of yelling going on. Drowning happens very quickly and very quietly," Bill said.
What parents can do
Health officials say the most important step is designating a dedicated water watcher any time children are in or near the water.
"A water watcher… actively supervising the kids in the water. They're fully aware of who is in the water, where they are in the water, they're watching them without any kind of distractions," Bill said.
Officials also urge parents to learn CPR and know how to use lifesaving equipment like throw rings, rescue tubes, and reaching poles.
Pool barriers are another critical layer of protection — but only if they are properly maintained.
"You can have the biggest, baddest fence in the world, but if the gate doesn't work, it's not much good, so making sure that there's barriers up, that the gates and latches work, that if doors open out to pool areas, that they have alarms on them, and that any kind of ladder that goes to an above-ground pool is removed," Bill said.
Officials also warn parents not to rely on water wings, arm floaties, inner tubes, or other floating devices to keep children safe.
"They are not flotation devices in the sense that they are not designed to keep people afloat. Only U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets are designed to keep a body afloat and the head above water in an emergency situation. There's other items that folks like to use and play with but again, they're just toys and they're not designed to prevent drowning," Bill said.
A mother's mission
In the years since losing Gabriella, Bianchi channeled her grief into a mission. She founded the nonprofit Bean's Way, which teaches aquatic survival skills to children as young as 6 months old and has helped more than 200 children learn those skills.
"She lost her life, and all these other kids are learning these skills. To be able to save themselves," Bianchi said.
Bianchi emphasizes that aquatic survival is different from traditional swimming lessons.
"How do I reach more families? How do I get the word out aquatic survival is different than swimming lessons. Aquatic survival should be the base and then you build into swim lessons," Bianchi said.
Bean's Way has helped families get aquatic survival lessons paid for. The nonprofit is hosting a 5K race on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex, located at 2044 Landstown Centre Way.
Bianchi said she hopes to keep spreading awareness — and honoring the daughter she lost.
"She loved and continues to love and that was just a gift. She was a gift — 2.5 years — and I hope to continue spreading her love," Bianchi said.
Take the 2026 Safe Swimming Pledge
The Virginia Department of Health is asking adults to take the Safe Swimming Pledge this summer. The pledge asks participants to:
- Never leave children unattended near water and always remain within arm's reach.
- Designate a water watcher every time children are in or near the water.
- Make sure children know how to swim.
- Learn CPR and know how to use lifesaving equipment.
- Ensure any permanent pool has a proper fence, gate, and safe drain covers, and that portable pool ladders are removed when not in use.
For more water safety tips, visit swimhealthyva.com or the Department of Social Services' Water Safety page.
