Senator Richard Blumenthal has joined Stew and Kim Leonard, who lost their child in a pool drowning, in issuing water safety warnings. Outdoor pools and beaches are open with local residents flocking to the water.

The Leonard family has raised over $3 million to promote water safety after their 21-month old son Stewie died in a swimming pool accident.  Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in the United States and the second leading cause of accidental death for persons aged 5 to 44.  75-percent of all fatal drownings take place in residential pools and the majority occurs between Independence Day and Labor Day. 

Blumenthal says hospital ER visits regarding pool and beach accidents are on the rise both locally and nationally.  According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 163 children younger than age 15 fatally drowned in swimming pools or spas in 2017 and nearly 70 percent were children younger than age five.