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Huntington Beach Marine Safety credited for drowning‑free summer; 'Water Watcher' tag promoted
Summary
The Board recognized Huntington Beach Fire Department's marine safety division for a summer with zero child drownings. Officials described a Water Watcher tag and public outreach campaign aimed at preventing pool drownings and encouraging active supervision at gatherings.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors recognized the Huntington Beach Fire Department Marine Safety Division on Dec. 2 after officials said the city recorded zero child drownings this past summer.
"Every single summer, we have children that drown in pools," said Chief Eric McCoy, who told the board the department set a goal of zero such deaths and launched a multi‑pronged prevention effort. He said the city responded to more than 125,000 calls for service along 3.5 miles of Huntington Beach and Sunset Beach and staffed up to 65 lifeguards at peak season.
Marine Safety Captain Lehi Schwin described the Water Watcher program: a visible tag reading "Designated Water Watcher" that an adult wears for 15 minutes to pledge undistracted supervision of children in a pool. "For 15 minutes, you're the parent, you're watching the pool...15 minutes, you pass it off to another adult," she said, describing the tag as a physical reminder to avoid phones and distractions.
Chief McCoy said the city supplemented the campaign with a federal grant, a public launch and social media outreach. "One of the ways that we did that was we had a grant...but we launched our water watcher program," he said.
Board members applauded the department and suggested the program could be a model countywide. The board took no formal action on the recognition; the item was presented as a commendation and public‑safety showcase.
