When Accidents Happen, Preparedness is Key: A Tampa family learns about the importance of water safety

May is National Water Safety Month, but in Florida, where we are surrounded by water and bask in year-round beautiful weather, water safety is something we need to practice every day.

You could say our children’s lives depend on it.

Drowning is the leading cause of preventable death among children under the age of 5 in our community, and it can happen in a matter of seconds. But we can take steps to prepare for and prevent such accidents.

Related: Watermelon Swim teams up with Shaq Barrett to promote water safety for kids

Adam and Rachel Kornicki of Tampa learned this from dramatic experience this past summer while on a boat ride in Mexico with their daughters Abby, 4, Eliza, 2, and their 8-year-old nephew.

We met up with the Kornickis and Watermelon Swim owner Micha Seal at their Lutz location to hear their story, a testament to the power of swim and water safety lessons.

Tell us about your boat tour.

Adam: Everything was looking good. [The tour guide] was telling us about the animals we could see – turtles, sharks and fish. [Then] we noticed that we started slowing down. And we were like, ‘Oh, maybe he's just going to show us some more,’ but eventually, the boats started slowing more and more, and water started coming into the boat.

The guide was a young guy, had no clue what to do. My wife was like, ‘Do you have a whistle? Do you have a walkie-talkie? Do you have a foghorn? Do you have a flare? Do you have a phone?’ He had no way to communicate! We didn't have our phones on us either. Luckily, we did have life vests on. As the boat began to capsize, we had no choice but to jump in the water.

How did the kids handle this?

Adam: This is where Watermelon Swim comes in because Abby just dove in like a dolphin and was calm as a cucumber. I decided to swim to the other side of the boat where Rachel was with Eliza and our nephew, and just as I got to them, the boat completely capsized.

Rachel: My foot was stuck in the sail ropes. I'm holding Eliza. She was really nervous while we were stressing out as it was tipping, but once we hit the water, she really calmed down, which was amazing to see. She was floating in her life vest and I had her, my nephew had me – and then my leg was being pulled under!

Adam: I had to leave Abby to swim by herself. She was treading really well. Abby was just a rock star in the water. I freed Rachel's leg. We were able to get away from the sailboat, and we were just screaming for help. Thank God, a boat from a different resort just happened to see us.”

This must have been terrifying as a parent.

Rachel: It was just so intense.

Adam: The first thing we did when we got back that next weekend, we went to Watermelon Swim. I went to Julia, one of the workers, and I said, “Thank you so much for all you do.”

Micha, when you heard how confident the girls were in the water while Adam freed Rachel’s leg, what was your reaction?

Micha: The thing is, you're never prepared for an accident or an emergency. So, when you prepare over and over, and you talk about water safety, when an emergency happens, that's when you hope it's just like second nature.

How do you instill this lesson of preparedness here?

Micha: With each lesson, we talk to the parents about water safety. We talk to the children about water safety. Everything we do is not just about the actual swim process; it's a full component: water safety, survival and swim. Because we don't plan for accidents. It's how you respond to them that is super important.

You also encourage parents to set up a Ring of Safety.

Micha: I always talk about putting that Ring of Safety around your children, so there’s swimming lessons, supervision, barriers, and CPR and first aid are a must. You have to put that ring of safety around them to make sure you are ready when the unexpected happens.

What is the right age to teach water safety?

Micha: We start a Water Babies program as soon as the infant’s umbilical cord falls off, so we believe in getting them in as soon as possible. And actually, that class is free up until the child is six months old. And then at six months, we have parent-taught classes; we have beginner classes for children that are 18 months and up. And then, we also teach adults because it's very important that adults know how to swim as well.

The Kornickis’ boat accident could have been a very different experience for their girls, and it’s a lesson for all of us that drowning doesn’t only happen in pools. Accidents can happen anywhere there is water, and it’s important that our kids, and we as parents, know what to do.

Micha’s Ring of Safety Reminders:

Swimming lessons: Kids can start lessons as soon as their umbilical cord falls off!

Supervision: Always designate a water watcher when kids are near water, and avoid distractions like cell phones and reading.

Barriers: Install a pool fence and add alarms to doors leading out to the pool.

CPR and First Aid: Sign up for a CPR and first aid class so you are prepared when an accident happens.

Drowning Facts:

• Accidental drowning is the leading cause of preventable death for kids under the age of 5.
• Babies, toddlers, and children can drown when adults take their eyes off them in as little as 20 seconds, even if they are nowhere near a pool.
• Formal swimming lessons for kids under the age of 4 can cut the risk of drowning by 88%.
• In 2024, five children died as a result of accidental drowning in Hillsborough County, according to data pulled by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. Four were only 1 year old, and one was 3 years old.

*Information provided by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County’s PreventNeedlessDeaths.com.

Watermelon Swim has five locations in the Tampa Bay area: South Tampa, Lutz, Riverview and Brooksville. They will be adding two new locations in the next two years in Brandon and Zephyrhills. Learn more at watermelonswim.com

READ MORE:

• Enroll in Swim Lessons During Spring Break for Summer Prep
• Shaq Barrett: Turning Tragedy into Hope for Others

*Presented by Watermelon Swim | Originally published in the May 2025 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.