Edwards Law
With hot days on the horizon, many Central Texans will be hitting the water for some fun in the sun.
The nonprofit Colin’s Hope works to promote the importance of water safety. The organization was formed in honor of Colin Holst, a 4-year-old who drowned in an Austin pool several years ago.
Executive Director Alissa Magrum said their mission is to help educate people to prevent similar tragedies.
“Nobody is drown-proof but it’s preventable,” Magrum said. “So simple things that people can do — watching your kids around water, putting life jackets on weak swimmers and non swimmers, learning how to swim, taking formalized swim lessons and that [goes for] kids and adults.”
Since May is National Water Safety Month, volunteers are passing around safety information packets in some neighborhoods.
Magrum said drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for kids under the age of five in Texas.